Undercover Disaster
by CaptainS10
Summary: Human AU. Artemis Fowl II is an international level criminal, hunting for his missing father and committing major crimes along the way. Holly Short is simply an officer-in-training on Christmas vacation. But when she gets recruited for a mission to try to stop his latest heist, well... it's just a disaster. Obviously A/H.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I've had this story in my back pocket for a while. I wasn't going to post it yet, but I've been a bit inactive lately, so I feel as though I owe you guys something good. And I really like this story. So yeah.**

 **I won't drag on too much. But fair warning, it is a human AU. I'm changing some things around, but not too much. And I know it doesn't say romance in the genres, but if you know my stories at all, you know there will be A/H. I don't know how long this will be or if the rating will bump at all yet, but I have a good feeling about this one. So look out. ;)**

Prelude

"Lock pick?"

"Check."

"Override card?"

"Check."

"Weapons stash?"

"Check."

"And how about the-"

A deep, heavy voice, tinged with irritation interrupted. "The building blueprints are in my bag as well, sir. I appreciate the help, but I do believe I have everything."

"Really? Everything, you say?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then," snapped his superior, turning around and pointing at his employee behind him, "I suppose you have your monkey, too?"

The other man froze, blinking, then finally collected himself and said, rather dumbly, "What?"

"Your monkey," repeated the first. "Where is he? The car, I suppose?"

The lower-ranking man stilled for a second, not answering. Then the words seemed to sink in and he frowned deeply, turning around and heading back for the door with a low growl. " _Mulch_!"

As the other man disappeared back inside the motel that was their headquarters, the first one leaned against the wall by the door and smirked. "It's great to always be right," he said to the empty air, then headed for the car waiting down the road, smirk firmly intact.

1.

 _Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock… Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring…_

Holly Short frowned down at her car's radio, then reached out and punched the button to flip the station. It was Christmas time, granted, and she knew it was supposed to be a happy, _jolly_ time of year... but she swore on the soul of whatever god was out there that if she heard one more damn Christmas carol before she managed to reach her house, she was going to snap. Jingle Bell Rock in itself had played four times in the last hour, and by the gods, she sick of hearing it already.

Not that her effort in changing the radio had helped much. Now it was just Holly Jolly Christmas instead of Jingle Bell Rock, which wasn't much better. Jingle Bell Rock had only been on four times, but Holly Jolly Christmas had been on six. _Six_. She'd been in the car a few hours, granted, but six was just too high a number for her sanity to take.

She pulled a CD out of her console and thrust it into the player with more force than was strictly necessary, and when the music started to play, she allowed herself to breathe out a sigh of relief. This one should last until she was remotely close to home, at least.

It was Christmas time in Holly's hometown of Haven, and everywhere else in the country for that matter. She had started the nearly eight hour drive from the academy to her childhood home roughly seven and a half hours ago, and she couldn't be happier that her drive was almost over. Not only that, but that it would end right back home at her parents old house, where she could collapse into bed without having to deal with any people and get some well-deserved rest after so long in the car. If her parents weren't up - which at this hour it wasn't likely they were - then she'd probably scare the hell out of them when they woke because they would have no idea she was there, but she didn't care at this point. Her eyes were drooping as she drove and the only thing stopping her from pulling over, reclining the seat, and going to sleep in the car right here on the side of the road was that fact that she recognized the scenery around her and she knew it wouldn't be much longer before she made it home.

With the change in music, her mood lifted slightly, and the last few minutes of the drive home that had previously been dragging seemed to come at least a little bit faster to her. It seemed like very little time had past from her switching the disk to the time she turned around the final bend and her old home came into view.

Holly's childhood home was no real sight to behold in itself, if she was being honest. It was a modest two story house with few windows and only two doors to get in or out - a front and a back. It was painted a dark shade of blue that had faded over time from azure to almost sky blue, with three windows facing out towards the driveway. Two were higher up, closer to the roof and above the small front porch leading to the main door, and one was set in the wall to the right of the door itself. Peeking through it, she could see some the left side of the kitchen, although not a whole lot through the dim lighting of the early morning. It was a quaint, but sturdy structure; not fancy at all, but homey, and it served the purpose of keeping a roof over their heads for as long as she could remember.

She shut the car off and walked slowly to the front door, her keys dangling off of her finger. Not bothering to lock the car or get her bags out of it, she jogged up the porch steps and let herself in the front door. She closed and locked it again behind her, then, basic survival instinct and exhaustion taking over, legged it as fast as possible while still being quiet into the living room and collapsed on the couch.

She didn't remember anything after letting herself fall into the cushion. As soon as her back hit solid, soft furniture and she let her eyes close, they didn't open again for a solid five hours.

When she eventually did wake up, she immediately realized that several things were different from when she'd fallen asleep. She was covered up, for one. And then, when she sat up, she saw her keys were on the table, her bags were across the room, and her dad was sitting on the armchair opposite her.

He glanced over at her when she sat up and chuckled dryly. Holly realized she must be quite a sight - unruly bed head, dirty clothes, and she still hadn't even blinked the sleep from her eyes yet. She probably looked like a wild animal.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," guffawed her father. He took a sip from the blue coffee mug in his hand and asked, "Sleep well?"

"I don't remember falling asleep," Holly admitted. "So I must have."

"I'm not surprised. You were already out by the time I made it downstairs with the gun." He frowned and shook his head. "By the way, next time you're coming home that late, let me know. I'll leave the door unlocked for you and I won't come down the stairs with my revolver at the sound of the door opening."

Holly blinked and nodded. She'd almost forgotten how paranoid her father got when things went bump in the night. His wariness came from all of the years he spent in the police force. He knew what evils were out there and he was never keen on the idea of giving them a chance to get to his family. He kept his modified revolver in the nightstand beside his bed, within arm's reach, just in case something happened.

Stretching out the kinks in her stiff muscles, Holly got to her feet and headed to the kitchen without a word, knowing her father would follow. As she headed to the fridge in search of a suitable meal, he settled down at the islanded table in the center of the floor and watch her, sipping his coffee. "There should be some eggs in there," he commented. "I can make you an omelet."

"Or you could let me make my own food so it's actually edible," she muttered, more to herself than him. He rolled his eyes.

"If you'd rather do it yourself, go ahead. It was just an offer. This thing called chivalry, you see, and good hosting skills. I know you kids don't see that much these days, but it's still a thing."

Holly did not comment as she moved from the refrigerator to the stove, egg carton in hand. She went to dig out a pan and spatula, only to find them gone from their usual draw. "Where's the skillet?"

"The sink," replied Christopher absentmindedly. He'd turned his attention from her to the paper, reading the cover article. "Your mother didn't wash the dishes again."

"Oh, hush up," a new voice chimed from the doorway. "I'll get to them when I get to them, and you damn well know it. I don't see _you_ doing them."

Holly didn't have to turn around to identify the new voice's source, but she did anyway, beaming. "Morning, Mom."

Coral Short smiled back. "Good morning, dear. Sleep well?"

Holly nodded. "Once I got here, that is. Frond, it's such a long drive… I was exhausted." She looked at her father. "I don't remember him trying to shoot me, anyway."

Coral smiled and shook her head, making her way around the table to sit next to her husband. "You should've told us you weren't getting back until late, Holly. You know how your father is."

"That's what I- hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Chris turned and cocked his head at his wife, looking mock-offended.

"You know exactly what I mean," she responded, and Holly had to giggle. Coral looked at her daughter again and smiled, standing up and moving around to touch her arm. "Here, Holly. Why don't you leave that be and go get cleaned up? We can just go out somewhere." Holly opened her mouth to say something, but Coral held up her hand. "No, don't say anything. It's our treat. Just go."

Sighing slightly, but unwilling to protest because, in all honesty, that sounded _really_ good to her, Holly nodded and gave her mother a quick hug. "Fine. I'll go get a shower then. Be back in a few." She kissed her cheek and disappeared from the room. Coral smiled as she left and turned around, beginning to rinse off dishes to put in the dishwasher.

Chris waited until he knew Holly would be far enough gone to be out of hearing range, then looked at his wife and shook his head. "Coral, I don't have time to go out with you. You know that. I have to work."

She glanced over her shoulder to scowled reprovingly at her husband. "You will come out with us and visit with your daughter for the whole one hour it will take for us to find a place and eat. It won't kill you or Julius."

"He won't like that," muttered Christopher, taking another sip of his coffee.

"He'll cope," Coral said sharply. "And if he really wants to fight about it, then I'll talk to him myself."

"He won't like that either." Chris rolled his eyes and laid down his paper. "I can't imagine him being in a good mood, but today it's probably exceptionally bad. Look at this." He pointed to an article in the right side column of the second page.

Coral sighed and shut off the water, grabbing a hand towel as she moved back around the counter to glance over her husband's shoulder at the paper. As soon as she started reading, a frown appeared on her face and she pulled the paper closer to her to look at it closer. When she finished, she took a step back and shook her head. "My goodness. It's that Fowl character again."

"Yeah," Chris agreed gruffly. "He's becoming more and more of an issue. To see this…" He paused, unable to find the right words, and shook his head. "His corporation of crimes and followers is growing to the point where he's nearly an international threat. And he's getting bigger and bigger with the scale of his schemes."

The woman sighed and shook her head, touching her husband's shoulder lightly. "Chris, this… this is only getting bigger. I don't like you being involved in this stuff in the first place, but this… I mean, what if he-.."

"It's my job, Coral, and we've talked about this," Christopher interrupted sharply. "I have to do what I have to do. Eventually he'll screw up and we'll catch him. That will be it, if me or Root has any say in the matter. We'll get him."

"And what if he doesn't screw up?" She looked at him anxiously. "What if you can't?"

Chris shrugged and looked at her with steely determination in his eyes. "We'll sure as hell be the closest."

 **I included the prelude with the first chapter since it was so short. Also, I know this wasn't too eventful so far, but it will take a few chapters to get really good, so just hang in there. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

2.

"What do you want to eat?" her mother asked.

Holly shrugged and looked out the window, watching the old, familiar buildings and faces of her hometown fly by. A sense of melancholy washed over her, and she smiled, feeling like a child again. "Food."

Her father grunted into his hand, covering a laugh well. Her mother frowned slightly. "You two are such children. Fine. I'll pick."

Holly shrugged, her mind still drawn to the view. "Okay."

Several minutes later, they pulled into a small cafe Holly remembered well: Jimmy's. It was quite literally named after and owned by the man who ran it. He'd built it himself, from scratch, and ran it with his wife to this day. It was just old enough that it was stuck in her memory - she didn't remember a life without Jimmy's.

She climbed out of the car, grinning. Her mother got out too as saw the grin immediately. "I take it you don't mind this place?"

"Jimmy's? Never."

Coral smiled and slipped an arm over her daughter's shoulders. "Great. Come on, grumpy, let's get some food," she called loudly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Chris grumbled, coming around the car. "Let's go."

He slipped past them and opened the door. Holly stepped forward. Immediately, the familiar smell of Jimmy's cafe at breakfast hit her nose. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, a slow smile spreading out over her face even as her belly rumbled.

"You're blocking the door," a voice grunted in front of her.

Holly opened her eyes. There was a frowning man standing in front of her. He looked prim in his uniform, but at the same time, he was gruff-looking and unshaved. Holly frowned back at him. Oddly, he looked really familiar…

"Commander!" Her father slid past her and saluted to the man quickly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Of course you didn't." He frowned at him. "A little late to be stopping in for breakfast, isn't it?"

Chris opened his mouth to respond, but Holly cut him off. It finally clicked who he was, why he looked so familiar. "You're my dad's boss," she stated, looking at him. "Julius. Right?"

He turned his dark, sharp eyes back to her. "That's Commander Root to you, civilian," he muttered. He studied her quickly, tilting his head to the side. "You look oddly familiar."

"She ought to, sir. Remember? My daughter? Holly?"

Root's eyes flicked from him back to her, and she saw recognition faintly dawn. "Frond, girl, you look different. I thought you were at the Academy."

Holly shrugged. "I am. Christmas break."

"Ah." Root turned back to Chris. "So you were skipping work to come to breakfast with your daughter?"

"Not skipping. I was just going to be a little late. And before you ask-" He pointed to his wife. "I was not allowed to call."

Root frowned at her. Coral stared back evenly. Eventually, the man relented and turned back to Christopher. "Don't get in too late," he said finally. He patted the Major on the back, nodded to Holly and Coral, then slipped out.

Chris released an audible breath when the door closed behind him. Coral scowled at him. "You're entirely overdramatic. He wasn't even that mad."

"That's probably because he hasn't seen the paper yet." He sighed and headed to their normal table in the back. Holly and Coral followed. "Just wait. I'll probably get a phone call in a few minutes."

"No, you won't," Coral said confidently. "And it wouldn't matter if you did, because you're not bailing on breakfast for work, especially not after we start eating." She shoved him towards one of the booth's in the back. "So move it."

Chris stumbled forward a step before regaining his footing. Holly snickered behind her hand and followed him with her mother not far behind.

As it turned out, her father was wrong, but only by mere minutes. They had all barely finished eating when his phone rang.

Chris frowned. Without even looking at it, he answered the phone and said, "Commander."

There was a brief period of silence on their end, in which Holly and Coral could hear brief snitches of Julius's loud, fast talking. None of it was distinguishable, but he clearly sounded irritated. Chris just kept nodding until the line went dead, then hung up silently.

"Let me guess," Holly said dryly. "Breakfast time is over."

Chris looked at his daughter and sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. I'm sorry, kid, but I've got to go." He stood up. "I'll see you two tonight, okay?"

Coral looked mildly irritated, but she nodded nonetheless. Holly hugged her father quickly, and then, with barely another word, he left.

Holly looked at her mother. "Has he always been this much of a workaholic?" she asked her mother.

"No," her mother answered. "He hasn't. It's just been lately, mostly. This Fowl thing has just about everybody in a mess." She sighed, and Holly frowned.

"Fowl? I've never heard of a Fowl."

"He's a criminal from a rising empire. The head, from the sounds of it. According to your father, his organization is a longstanding one, but it's been dormant for a while. Now it's growing again… more powerful than ever." She stood up and shook her head. "And that, dear, is about all I know. Chris won't talk about his work much, especially now. He either says it's too dangerous, or none of my business." She paused. "Should we go home? We can get you settled in for the holiday and find something to do until your father gets home."

"Sure," Holly answered, pushing her empty plate away. She was slightly absent minded, though, thinking about the information her mother had given her. It just seemed...odd. Especially when hearing about it in connection with her father. Family had always come first for him, so if he was unwilling to stay with them now despite his values, the danger must have been more real than he'd let on.

She stood up and shook the thoughts away. It wasn't like there was anything she could do. She wasn't a cop yet, and even if she was, she had next to no information. She was still useless.

She went up to the counter with her mother as she paid, and then they headed for home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

That night, her father came home looking haggard and stressed.

Holly and her mother were on the couch in the living room, watching TV when Christopher stumbled in.

Immediately, Coral was on her feet, leading her husband to a chair and bustling around him, asking him what he needed and if he was okay. He fell heavily into it and waved her off. "Just a cup of warm tea, please," he muttered, rubbing his face.

Holly stayed frozen in her spot, unsure what to do. "What's wrong?" she asked tentatively as her mother hurried into the kitchen, finally overcoming her surprise.

He looked at her and smiled tiredly. "Nothing. It was just… a long day. Julius is growing increasingly worried, which means an increasing workload for me." He took the cup of tea from Coral when she came back, taking a sip and yawning hugely.

Coral sat beside Holly again. Before she could speak, Holly asked, "What's so worrying about this Fowl guy, Dad? I don't get it. I mean, I've never even heard of him-"

"Well, you're not a criminal or a cop, so I'd expect not." At her confused look, he sighed and explained, "Fowl is a growing problem, Holly, but we're trying to keep it under wraps. As it stands, most people don't know about him at all. Few criminals even recognize the name." He paused. "The last time he was spotted for sure was in another country, but there's telltale signs… and rumors..." He stopped, shaking his head. "He's an international threat, Holly. A big one. I really can't tell you more than that."

"Why not?" She frowned, her brow furrowing. She wanted to know more. This Fowl character sounded interesting, to say the least, and besides, her father looked haggard and worn. If they were that desperate, surely he could give her a little more information. Perhaps she could help…

"Because I'm not allowed. At any rate, I don't like talking about work at home." He sat back in the car, glancing at the TV briefly and back at her. "Especially not when there's more interesting things to talk about."

Holly frowned, not exactly inclined to agree. "Like what?"

"Like… the annual Christmas party this weekend." He took a drink of his tea, looking at her. "You're invited this year, you know."

"Really?" As a child, she'd never been allowed to go to the company Christmas party. Her parents always told her it was for adults only, and although she'd thought it was unfair when she was younger, she understood as she got older. There as alcohol there, for starters, like most workplace parties, and then there was the fact it was a police force Christmas party - there was weapons there, and not to mention all the gruesome stories to be told. It was no place for a child.

He shrugged. "Sure. You're old enough now. There's no reason you can't." He sat back, sipping his tea again. "And since it's black tie event, it gives you two an opportunity to go shopping."

Holly smiled and glanced at her mother. "That sounds like fun. I'd love to come."

"We'll go shopping tomorrow," Coral told her, smiling warmly back. Then she glanced at her watch and frowned. "It's late. We should all go to bed."

Not inclined to argue now with the prospect of a day of shopping ahead, especially as tired as she already was, Holly nodded and got up, hugging both of her parents before retreating upstairs to get ready for bed. As she started to get settled in, she reflected on the conversation she just had. She hated to see her father so ragged and tired looking and not be able to do anything about it. This Fowl guy, whoever he was, needed to be caught, and soon. Hopefully before he did some major damage.

Little did she know that he already had.


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is relatively short, I know, but it's the first look into what Arty is up to, and it's packed full of info to make up for it. So... enjoy! :)**

3.

Paperwork. Research. Meetings. Money. Dirty dealings. It was everywhere; it was constant. When Artemis Fowl II had inherited all of this from his father and made the determination to follow in his footsteps, he had no idea that it work all be so much work.

The police had no idea that the infamous criminal everyone was after, known only by the name of Fowl, was actually not even the criminal they had set out to look for. What none of the authorities knew was that the long standing criminal empire they were watching was originally run by his father before he disappeared. The crimes that had been carried out in previous years that they were blaming him for now were done by his father. Artemis Fowl Junior had only just taken over a little over a year ago, when his father disappeared, and he was only using his father's power to spearhead a search for him.

That's not to say he wasn't a criminal. Artemis Fowl the Second was very much a criminal. But he prided himself on being more than a common criminal. His crimes, the ones he _had_ orchestrated, were bigger than anything his father had ever done. He didn't steal and commit crimes for the same reason his father did. His father had done it just for the rush, to beat authority, and of course to make money. No; his sole reason, at least at the start, was to find his father.

As time went on, his activities did start to drift slightly from the set path he was on. Not every crime he committed was done with the goal of finding Fowl Senior in mind, but because of the temptation of the challenge. Artemis was a genius, and as such, he excelled at whatever he was doing, including crime. He had yet to have trouble balancing the empire his father had amassed, and sometimes, in his free moments, he had planned other heists and crimes, organized side jobs, just to entertain himself and put his intellect to use. The payoff from these was nice, and it helped refill some of the funds he had spent on his search expeditions around the globe.

Now, Artemis was planning something big. A heist across the channel, in Europe, set for several months down the road. It required lots careful planning, inside details, blueprints, a big team, people on the inside, and constant monitoring. If the Parisian authorities got the smallest idea that there was trouble coming, his chance could be lost, so he was spending a long time on careful planning and a lot of money on monitoring many people.

People including Julius Root, his father's old nemesis. He knew that Julius would be watching, carefully, waiting for him to make a move or slip up. He didn't intend to, but he was going to keep a close eye on him anyway. Root had almost caught his father on several occasions, and not every time was because of mistakes on Fowl Senior's part. He had a few tricks up his sleeve, and Artemis had no intention of giving him the chance to use them.

He would retire when he found his father. All he wanted was to find him, take his earnings, and give the company back. He'd quit crime, go back to school, stay with his mother at the family manor and find a career he could challenge himself in daily. Maybe, he mused to himself, even a career with intelligence in some county's government. His personal record was clean, after all. They had no idea of his identity. The foolish intelligence agencies after him had just assumed that Fowl was just a criminal stage name, not his real name. They'd checked on his family a few times, in the beginning, but they were too good at putting on a show, and with no past criminal records of any kind (not to mention some help from the Fowl funds, as wealthy as they were) there was no reason for them to suspect them again.

At least, that was what he told himself. He wasn't really certain if he could ever go back to a normal life, after this. Was there anything that would really hold the same level of intellectual challenge in it that running a criminal empire and outsmarting powerful countries' governments over and over again did? He couldn't think of anything, but, for his mother's sake, he was going to try. He knew, were she still sane and not so depressed as she had been since his father's disappearance, she wouldn't approve of his actions, but he didn't really have another choice. The family funds were depleted from searching already, and this was the best way to continue. Not only was he constantly making more money to use to search, he was making connections that would help. And as the only way to help her was to find his father… stopping wasn't an option.

Stopping would never be an option. Not yet. Not until, at the very least, his father was home safe. Authorities and roadblocks be damned; that was what he set out to do, and he was going to do it or die trying. Until then, stopping, or quitting, wasn't an option. It never would be until his family was safe, healthy, and whole again.

And this plan was just the starting point of that.


	4. Chapter 4

**So this chapter is pretty big and has a lot going on in it, so I'd pay close attention. Also, if you all want, just for fun, try to catch the spots where you can tell I'm either really dragging or having waaay too much fun.**

 **Also, just a warning to everyone, my computer died on me the other day and now has to be replaced, so things may get sporadic/messy here for a bit as I'm confined to my phone, which makes everything harder. So I apologize ahead of time for that. In the meantime, I'll do what I can to keep things moving.**

 **Anyway, Ill stop blabbering. Enjoy the story and please review if you can. It really helps keep me going. 3**

 **~CaptainS10**

4.

The remaining days until the party sped by. Holly and her mother went shopping the next day for dresses and shoes to wear to the party, and then it was just a matter of passing the next few days until the weekend. She spent them mostly at home, with her mother, relaxing and working on homework she had to get done before she went back from break. Even on vacation, she still had work to do.

The day of the party seemed to last forever, dragging for ages before night fell. It was even worse for Holly because she spent most of it in her room, working on a paper she really didn't want to do in the first place but needed to finish. By the time it was time to get ready came, she'd struggled through most of it, and only had the conclusion left to do. It certainly wasn't her best paper ever, but it would do, she thought, closing the computer and getting up to go get ready.

An hour later, she'd straightened out her hair and pinned it out of her face, done her makeup, and put on the dress and shoes her mother had helped her pick out. Though traditional Christmas colors were red and green, with her toffee complexion and bright red hair, she hadn't been able to find anything in either version of the colors that she thought looked good, so in the end they had defaulted and went with a little black dress, which her mother swore was appropriate for any occasion. It was sleeveless, fitted at the top but flaring out slightly past the waist, and went down to just above her knees. It covered everywhere except one spot on her chest where the fabric dipped into a V shape, starting at her collarbone and dipping low on her chest. It looked long, to her, but in actuality it didn't even dip far enough to reveal any cleavage. To add some color besides black, she was wearing heels and her mother's pearls, both of which were white.

When she finished and went downstairs, both of her parents were already ready and waiting, sitting in the living room. Her father rose at the sight of her and smiled.

"You look beautiful, Holly," he told her, still smiling as he handed her her jacket.

Holly blushed and smiled. "Thanks, Dad." She glanced at her mom as she put on her jacket. "Mom picked it out."

"I know. Ready?" He looked between both of them, and they both nodded. He walked over and opened the door, and they left.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The restaurant that her father's boss rented every year was only about fifteen minutes away from their house. It was the fanciest in the area by far, and also doubled as a hotel in the higher floors of the building. It was ten stories high, brick building, with a flashing sign on the outside above the door declaring it the Summit Hotel.

Her father drove them to the entrance, then climbed out and handed a valet the keys. "Let's go," he told them, smiling and wrapping his arms around Coral and Holly's shoulders on either side of him.

Holly walked in with her parents silently, looking around and taking in her surroundings. She'd never been much for the party scene, in high school or now, so she wasn't really comfortable or familiar with her surroundings. It was an adult, company party, so it wasn't all loud rock music and flashing lights and screaming teenagers, but it was still a mass of bodies, all over the place, and the music was loud, just a different kind, it was alternating between Christmas songs and soothing classical for the season. The lights were all fluorescent and turned low, bathing the room in soft light in spots and semi-darkness in others.

Root approached them almost as soon as they entered, coming to a stop in front of her father. He wasn't smiling. "We need to talk," he told him abruptly.

Chris didn't even look startled. "Alright," he sighed. He released Holly, pushing her away gently. "Go get some food, kiddo. We'll catch up with you."

Holly frowned but nodded, walking away as Root, Chris, and her mother all headed the opposite direction, already deep in conversation. She sighed slightly, knowing it was pointless to be irritated when whatever it technically wasn't any of her business, but unable to help it anyway.

She walked over to one of the many food-covered tables lined along the edge of the room, picking up a plate. She wasn't really hungry yet, but she wasn't going to join the party and there wasn't much else to do. Besides, if she didn't find them a table before everyone started settling down, she probably wouldn't be able to.

As she loaded her plate, moving through the people, one of them approached her table. He was incredibly short, probably only about three feet, but also extremely muscled and hairy. She stepped aside, intending to get out of the way, when he spoke.

"Chris's daughter, right?" he asked gruffly, not looking at her as he scanned the table.

Holly stopped, startled. She turned to look at him. "Me?" she asked dumbly.

He chuckled and looked up. "Yes, you. Or is there another I haven't heard of?"

"No. Just me." She frowned slightly, still confused. "Do I know you?"

"No. But I've heard about you. I'm a frequent visitor to the police station." He flashed a large-toothed smile at her. "My name is Diggums, by the way. Mulch Diggums."

"Oh." Holly blinked in surprise. The only explanation of how he could of heard of her was from her father, and as professional as he was, it surprised her that he'd talk about her at work. "Are you a cop too?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly. But I'm around a lot." He shook his head. "Busy man, though, isn't he?"

Holly looked back over her shoulder at where her parents and Root were still huddled off in a corner, talking quickly in hushed voices. "Yeah. He ditched me as soon as he came in for business."

"Yeah, well, this Fowl business has everyone up in arms." Mulch shrugged. "The bigger he gets, the more worried people get."

Her eyes snapped back to him at the mention of the elusive criminal. "This Fowl guy is a popular topic lately, isn't he?"

"Well, he's getting bolder as of late, isn't he? It's enough to make anyone worried, especially the government level people." He looked back down at the food.

Holly frowned. "My father has nothing to do with the government. And what would you know about Fowl, if you're not a cop?"

Mulch looked up at her and smiled, his eyes glinting mischievously. "I know a lot more than you, apparently." He picked up his glass, turning to leave.

"Tell me then!" Holly called after him.

The dwarf-man shook his head, flashing a smile over his shoulder at her. "See you around, kid." He walked away.

Holly stomped her foot and picked up her plate again, turning away. She was getting seriously irritated that everyone seemed to know so much more than her and yet wouldn't tell her anything. It couldn't really be so dangerous to know if everyone but her seemed to, could it?

Frustrated, she turned around, intending to take her food and go find a seat, but instead found herself face to face with Root for the second time that night.

He looked as surprised as she was when she spun around, taking a step back. "Sorry," he said gruffly.

Holly frowned slightly at him, glancing around. Her parents were nowhere to be seen. "Where-"

Root waved her question away. "No idea. Come with me." He turned, starting to walk away, obviously expecting her to follow.

Her frowned deepened, and she set her plate down to follow him. Now she definitely had no idea what was going on. What could he possibly want with her? It definitely couldn't be about business, as apparently it was all top secret, and she couldn't see what else he'd want to talk to her about.

She tried to catch up to him, to call out to him, but he ignored her and kept walking, moving through the crowd fast enough she couldn't catch up. Eventually, he made his way out of the hotel, and she followed, pushing her way out and into the darkness outside.

Holly stopped on the sidewalk, looking around. Root seemed to have disappeared into the darkness. "Commander Root?" she called into the blackness, taking a few cautious steps and looking around. "Julius?" she tried again.

There was no answer. She huffed, turning on her heel to go back into the building.

Just as she reached her arm out to grab the handle, someone grabbed her arm from behind. She yelped and jerked, spinning around. There were two guys behind her, both dressed in black from head to toe. They almost blended right into the darkness.

The one that had the grip on her arm pulled again as the other came at her with a knife. Holly let herself fall heavily into the one holding her arm, forcing him off balance with her weight and avoiding the knife. Twisting to break his grip, she pushed the closest guy off of her and into the other one, knocking them both off balance.

Unfortunately, she pushed a little too hard and unbalanced herself as well. She stumbled back into a car and righted herself as her attackers regained their balance as well.

For a moment, there was no movement. They all looked at each other, calculating. Then one of them launched at her, knife poised to strike.

Holly caught the wrist of his knife hand in both of hers as they rolled over the hood of the car. She was on the bottom when they landed, her back against the pavement, trying to keep the knife away from her. She could hear the footsteps of the other man as he ran around the car towards them. Her mind spun, struggling to recall her training. She may not have graduated from the police academy yet, so she didn't have a weapon of her own, but there had to be something she could use against them. She wasn't weak by any means, but these goons were stronger than her for sure. She wasn't optimistic about her chances of fighting both of them off, let alone getting a weapon from one of them, but she had to try.

The guy on top of her struggled to break her grip with his free hand as she struggled to keep the knife up, away from her, and get him off. She thrashed under him. Her legs weren't very well pinned, but if she kneed him, he could fall forward and stab her. There had to be a better way.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't see one, and the other guy was approaching fast. She could hear him, but she couldn't see him at all, what with the other guy on her and the darkness. Then she had a thought; a risky, desperate thought, but it was a thought, and she didn't see many other options.

So she laid there, holding the knife off, drawing out the time until the other man approached. Her arms were starting to get tired, and she knew she couldn't hold him off for much longer. The footsteps got closer. She used the pavement to pull off her heels.

Then, everything happened at once. The other man appeared behind her, and her arms gave out. The knife smashed into the pavement beside her head, and she bucked harshly, bringing her knees up into the man's back. He flew forward into his partner, the knife still stuck in the ground beside her as they tumbled down.

Holly leapt to her feet and ran, leaving the knife and her heels in the street. Hopefully, she'd stunned them both enough to get out of sight before they recovered. They'd be hard pressed to spot her anyways - she was also wearing black, and she'd lost the heels in the street.

She ran around the building, not waiting to see if they followed, tried the first door she saw, and threw herself inside. She probably should have been surprised it was unlocked, since it was dark in this part of the building and they weren't using it, but she didn't care in the moment. She locked it behind her and then fell against it heavily, sliding to the ground.

She couldn't believe what just happened. What really was it, anyway? Things like that didn't usually happen around here, and she couldn't fathom why they would have chose her to attack. Sure, she may have looked like an easy target to a stranger, but she didn't have a purse on her, and they didn't seem to be trying to rob her, or even rape her for that matter. They just attacked her. It was like they aimed to kill.

Suddenly, the lights came on around her. Her head jerked up. Her father and Root stood in the doorway.

Her father rushed to her side. "You're bleeding," he muttered, taking her arm gently in his grasp and turning it. She realized with surprise he was right - there was a sizeable gash in her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed or felt it in the heat of the moment.

Root leaned against the wall, looking her over. "Any more injuries?" he asked, seeming remarkably calm about finding her this way.

"Not that I know of," she murmured, her voice shaking slightly as she looked around. She seemed fine overall. She just must have gotten scraped with the knife during the scuffle in the beginning.

Chris frowned. "It's not deep. It just needs cleaned," he said gruffly, standing up and releasing her arm. He held out his hand to her, and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet by her good arm.

Root nodded and shrugged. "Not bad, overall. I expected worse."

Holly's head snapped to him, surprised. "What?"

The Commander sighed slightly. "Come on, Short. What do you think just happened out there?"

She narrowed her eyes, feeling anger course through her. "You sent them after me?"

"I tested you. And you passed." He crossed his arms.

"How did she pass? She's injured!" Christopher snapped, clearly displeased.

"She's alive, isn't she?" Root growled.

Holly gaped slightly, then swallowed, recovering quickly. So she was right. "So they were trying to kill me? Why would you test me like that? Or at all?"

Root sighed. "I needed to see how you could handle yourself under pressure, kid. Because we need your help. Even if he doesn't like it."

Chris's jaw tightened silently. Holly looked at him for a second, then back at Root. "What could I possibly do for you? I'm not a cop yet, and everything seems to be so top secret, I don't know anything about anything."

"Well, believe me, if you agree to help us you'll learn a lot more than you ever wanted to," the commander told her tightly. "Are you willing to or not?"

Holly pressed her lips together, contemplating. Finally, she said, "Tell me what it's about. At least a little," she demanded, adding the last part at his displeased look. "I'm not agreeing to something without knowing at least a little of what's going on."

Root frowned. "What do you think it's about, kid?" he asked, quieter than she'd ever heard him speak.

After everything she'd heard over the past couple days, only one thing came to mind. "Fowl," she blurted, almost before she could even think about it.

"Of course. See, you're not as clueless as you act like you are." He stood up straight, eyeing her speculatively. "Come to the Plaza tomorrow. We'll talk details then." Without even waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the room, going back to the party.

Holly turned to her father, her head reeling. Before she could speak, he held up at hand. He was clearly angry at this whole situation. His eyes glowed with ire, though not at her "I'm not talking about this right now," he said tersely. "Tomorrow. Right now, let's just go home."

Unsure how to respond, Holly simply nodded and let him lead her out.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

The next day, Holly got up and went into work with her father.

He clearly still wasn't happy about the situation, but he seemed to have resigned himself to the fact that she was at least going to hear what Root had to say before making any decisions. He'd made it obvious he hadn't allowed Root to do what he did and that he didn't want her involved with anything, but he also couldn't do anything about it. She was an adult, after all.

He led her into the Plaza silently. Holly followed him, not speaking either as she observed her surroundings. At the very front was the reception area, where there were lines of people waiting to talk to officers for one thing or another. As they moved through the door out of the main room for visitors, it looked more like an office building, with walls lined with doors and officers milling about. There were no convicts or cellblocks in sight in this area, so she assumed the cells were somewhere else entirely.

Eventually her father stopped in front of a large set of double doors labelled the "Ops Booth" by a plaque to the right of the doors. He gestured for her to knock. "He's usually in here," he told her gruffly. "At least, I'm sure he will be in your case." He paused for second, frowning. "I'm going to my office. Come get me if you need me."

Holly nodded, and he turned on his heel and walked away. She sighed slightly, then knocked on the Ops doors.

After a moment, the doors slide open with a pneumatic hiss. She walked inside silently.

Root was stationed at a desk on the far side of the room, scribbling furiously on some papers in front of him. Across from her, the wall was taken up by dozens of computer monitors showing various things, from coding to security cameras to documents. Foaly, the techie, sat in front of the huge bank, clicking away. He smiled back at her as she walked in.

"You're Chris's daughter, right?" he asked pleasantly, turning his spinning chair to face her and extending his hand. Holly nodded as she took it. "Great! It seems we'll be working pretty closely, then - if you agree, that is."

"Well, that all depends on what I hear." She looked at the commander expectantly.

He sighed, not even looking up at her. "Come sit down, Short. Then we'll talk."

Holly obliged, walking over and taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He waited until she settled, then looked up at her for the first time. "So," he started, sitting back in his chair and looking at her.

"So," Holly repeated, unsure. "What is this about? Why did you have people try to kill me?"

Root stood up, waving the statement away. "I didn't. I wouldn't have let them actually hurt you, even if one of them actually tried. I just wanted to see how well you could hold up in a fight. You fared better than I expected, I admit." He walked around the desk.

Holly followed him with her eyes. "Why, though? You told me this was about Fowl. I don't understand how this all connects."

Root walked towards the bank of monitors, leaning against the control panel. "How far are you into the Academy?" he asked, not answering her questions still.

Holly frowned, irritated. "This is my second year. I'm getting through. Why?" she repeated again.

He didn't answer for a long moment. "Look, I'll just tell you straight, Holly. You're the minority in our field, as a woman, and as you're still a student, you have no record for Fowl to trace. I need someone who can infiltrate his world. And you are the person he would least expect. As a female, and an inexperienced one to boot, there's no reason to suspect that you would ever be affiliated with anyone besides yourself." He paused. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

She stood up. "You're saying you want to send me in, to work with him, under false pretense. Right?"

The Commander nodded. "Simply, I want to send you undercover." He walked back around the desk, returning to his seat. "I've tried twice to get operatives in to get me the information I need. Both times, they failed. Fowl is too smart. Neither of them could even get close." He settled back in the chair. "But you… you might be able to. No one will ever see you coming. As a student, you have no record. And you've done no police work, so there's no chance of anyone from the underworld recognizing you. You're clean, and with a little background work, you'd look perfect for anyone looking to recruit to the cause."

Holly frowned slightly. "What kind of information do you need? And, how deep undercover are we talking about here?"

Root shrugged. "Deep. You'd have to be very careful about where you go and how you get places, as you'll probably be constantly watched from the moment you butt in to underworld business. And as far as information…" He leaned forward. "Anything you can get me right now is more than I have, Short. He's getting stronger, and I'm running out of options. So whatever you can get me, at this point."

Holly nodded, looking down. Logically, she knew, she shouldn't even be considering this. She was barely an adult, and not even finished with the Academy. There was so much she would walk into this not knowing, and that was dangerous. But she also desperately wanted to help, and if this was the only way she could… Besides, this would just end up being good experience in the field. And it didn't seem like she was being asked to do anything that hard. It wasn't like she had to ever meet the man. She just had to make some underworld contacts and get some information. That wasn't really too much to ask, was it?

Just one thing she wanted to ask, first. "What happened to the two officers who failed?" she asked him.

Root shrugged. "They came back in one piece, if that's what you're asking. Fowl just didn't take the bait."

Holly nodded, feeling herself relax slightly at this information. They weren't talking life or death, at least. "Alright," she agreed at last. "I'll do it."

Root nodded silently. He didn't seem the least bit surprised by her answer. In fact, he seemed almost too calm about the whole thing, like he was determined not to give anything away. "Good. You stay and talk to Foaly about gear then. We'll talk more later." He got up again, then walked out of the room.

Holly frowned slightly at his brisk exit, then turned to Foaly. The techie grinned at her. "Let's see what we can do with you, then," he told her, motioning her over as he rolled over to a rack full of technology and police gear.

She crossed the room to join him, and he immediately started pulling things off the rack, then looking at her and setting them back down. Within a few minutes, he found her a wire piece and a vest, then stopped.

"We can't afford to gear you up too much, you see. Just in case something were to happen," he explained as he carefully adjusted the wire around her ear. "But sending you in without at least this much is useless." He finished his adjustments and rolled back over to his computer bank, consulting one of the screens briefly. "I can give you some cheap, easy to hide weaponry, but not much."

Holly paused in the middle of zipping up the vest, looking at him. "Why do I need all this again?"

"Because. You're not supposed to be dealing with Fowl or his cronies directly, but to get what we need, you're going to have to go into a hive of criminals. And that, dear girl, is dangerous, no matter what level they are." He spun back around towards her. "How's your aim?"

"Decent." Holly shrugged. She wasn't far enough along to have had much practice at the Academy with different weapons, but her father, ever paranoid, had taught her how to shoot and how to defend herself at a young age. "I haven't practiced in a while, though."

"That shouldn't matter too much. You don't want to overly rely on a weapon anyway." He nodded to the rack. "Take a couple knives and a small gun. Nothing you can't conceal."

She nodded, grabbing a few weapons off the top shelf. "Do you think this will work, Foaly?" she asked, mostly out of curiosity.

He thought about it for a second. "It's possible," he admitted. "But not plausible. At least, not in its entirety."

She tucked the weapons away and walked back over to him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said." Foaly shrugged. "Julius, he's thinking you'll be able to waltz right in, interrogate some people, walk right back out. I think he knows it doesn't work that way, but he's hoping…" He stopped, then sighed. "Honestly, I don't know why. I think you'll get in, yes, but I don't think Fowl lasted this long without connections, and I think that the moment you start poking around, he's going to find out."

Holly nodded slowly. It made sense, but she didn't necessarily like it. It also explained the way Root way acting. "What happens then, do you think?" she asked quietly.

Foaly met her eyes. "Honestly? Then it's up to him. But I hope, for your sake, it's not something bad."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry, this one is pretty short, but still let me know what you guys think! We're getting closer to them meeting, and even I'm getting excited. :P**

6.

The following day, her assignment began.

Wired and ready to go, the vest on under her shirt, Holly left the house and headed towards her destination: a club an hour or so outside of town called Cub Casino. Apparently, the club was known for being a hub for criminals, but without probable cause and a search warrant, or a crime being reported from there, the LEP couldn't legally do anything about it. And, even if they could get in, Foaly had pointed out that the likelihood of them finding anything in a place where experienced criminals were known to gather was incredibly unlikely. Most of them knew how to clean up after themselves.

Holly arrived around noon. She pulled into the lot and shut off her car, then paused, reaching up and turning on her wire. "With me, Foaly?"

"Am now," he replied smoothly. "Head on in. I'm right here the whole time… unless something goes wrong, of course, and then I'm still in Ops sending a squad to get you."

"Very reassuring," Holly muttered, getting out of the car and locking her doors behind her. It really wasn't, but it was a little late to turn back now. She walked up to the front door, took a deep breath, and went inside.

The first thing that hit her was the lack of light. Even in the middle of the day, the casino was dimly lit, with just enough red light for her to see what was a few feet in front of her. Despite how early it was, the place was still packed, with people milling about everywhere, drinking or gambling or doing a million other things. It smelled strongly of a mix of sweat, beer, and some kind of filtered air they must have been pumping in to try to cover the rest of it. Music thumped through the room.

Holly stopped for a moment by the door, letting herself adjust to the assault on her senses before moving deeper in. "Poor visibility," she muttered into the mike. "Well, poor everything, really." She wrinkled her nose.

Foaly laughed in her ear. "I suppose you're too young to have been to a casino before, hm? Well, welcome to them."

"Are they all like this?" She started moving inside slowly.

"For the most part, in one variation or another. Some of them have better lighting and ventilation than others, though."

She couldn't help thinking that would have been nice as she moved deeper inside, looking around. She'd only been here a few minutes and she couldn't wait to leave.

Foaly's voice was a bit static-y when he spoke again. "You may want to find a place near people to keep watch. Maybe the bar. But don't pick around and look lost. Someone will boot you out."

Holly nodded, spotting the bar on the other side of the room and starting to make her way over. He said something, but this time it was too broken up to understand. "Foaly?" she murmured into the mike, pausing where she was. "Hello?"

This time, there was no answer, not even static. Holly frowned, looking around. Something must be blocking her signal in here. Should she leave? Step out and tell him that much? Or would that look too odd? She probably looked out of place enough already. Maybe it would just be best if she stayed a little bit. It was doubtful she would hear anything worth directly reporting on her first day, anyway.

Holly went up to the bar and sat down. The bartender approached her almost immediately. "What'll it be?" he grunted, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

She bit her lip, not liking the way he was eyeballing her already. "Um… just a Diet Coke."

He nodded and moved down the bar. She released a breath and turned on the stool, looking around. She was starting to wonder if Julius was a little crazy, thinking this would work. She was very obviously out of place and despite being at the Academy for a while, she wasn't really sure where to start. It seemed incredibly stupid to just walk up to somebody and start asking them questions. It could just be that simple… or she could get shot if she said the wrong thing to the wrong person.

The problem was solved for her, though. At that moment, a hairy but familiar-looking man approached her, hopping up on the stool beside her. She barely spared him a glance, lost in thought, until she suddenly realized what exactly she'd seen. She turned back to him. "Mulch?" she demanded, surprised.

The dwarf winked at her. "I go by Tombstone around these parts, but hello." He grinned toothily at her, and she suddenly swallowed down the urge to ask why he was called that. "What are you doing in a place like this, kid?"

The bartender returned with her drink, and she took it, stirring the straw around as she debated how to answer. She couldn't very well tell him that she was undercover working for the cops, could she? It was almost a laughable thought. Imagine how he'd react. Seeing him here, she suddenly realized he wasn't one himself. Whatever his connection, it was different. "Well…" she held out, still not sure how to respond.

Mulch chuckled and shook his head. "Let me guess. You came looking for trouble, didn't you? You children of authority figures, you're all either one way or the opposite: following in their footsteps, or doing anything you can to rebel." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Old Chris doesn't even know you're here, does he?"

Holly bit her lip and nodded slowly. That much, at least, was true. She hadn't really talked to her father about this yet; he'd worked really late last night, then left very early in the morning, and she wasn't exactly chasing him down to do it. She knew he wasn't happy about it, and at this point, the less he knew, the less she had to hear about it. Of course, she wasn't actually here to rebel against him, but if it gave her a feasible story to work with… Besides, the best lies had a hint of truth in them.

"No," she said at last. "He doesn't. And, to tell you the truth, I'm sick of him treating me like a child, so I came to do a little investigative work of my own." She took a sip of her Coke. "I want you to tell me what you know about Fowl. That's why I came."

Mulch looked at her, contemplating. "Really? And how did you know where to find me?"

Holly shrugged. "You weren't at the police station, but I did some digging. I do hear some things, even though he tries to keep me from them." She leaned toward him. "I'm tired of being treated like a child. I'm an adult, and I want to know about what's going on. I think I deserve at least that much, but he won't tell me anything. But you know something, don't you? You already said so."

He chuckled. "Of course I do. I know a lot, actually - including some things that would make your toes curl, girl. But why do you really want to know?" He raised an eyebrow. "To act out? To hold it against him? Or to get involved?"

She made a face involuntarily. "Get involved? I'm not a criminal. I'm just… curious."

Mulch shrugged. "Suit yourself. But, to be honest, I can't tell you much on the outside. Fowl is a criminal, granted, but he's brilliant. I can tell you that much. And he's motivated, by reasons most people will never understand. Not everyone commits crimes just for thrills, Short." He got up. "If you ever change your mind, come find me. But don't tell your father." With a wink, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving her staring at the spot he disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

After Mulch left, Holly paid for her drink and sped back to the Plaza. She wasn't quite sure what to make of what he had said to her, but she had promised to report it nonetheless.

When she went outside, she tried talking to Foaly again, but at some point he must have given up and disconnected on his end because she got no answer. Sighing, she gave up and headed back towards town.

When she arrived at the Plaza, she went straight into the Ops Booth, pulling off her wire as she went. "Foaly-"

She stopped when she realized they weren't alone. Her father and Root stood a few feet away, talking, but they stopped too when she entered.

"Holly?" Christopher frowned. "What are you doing in here?"

Holly hesitated, looking at Root. "I… agreed to help. I just got back." She bit her lip, then, to avoid awkward eye contact, she turned to Foaly. "Sorry about the connection. I lost signal, but I didn't want to do anything suspicious-looking either, so I let it go for a bit."

Foaly shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, your neck, not mine. Did you get anything good?"

She frowned slightly. They were all looking at her, and suddenly she felt like her small conversation with Mulch was woefully inadequate. "Well… not much, actually. But I did talk to someone. He didn't give me a lot of information, but it was something, and I just felt like I shouldn't push my luck anymore today-"

"It fine," Root interrupted. "This conversation. Who did you talk to and what did he say?"

She hesitated again, not incredibly keen on the idea of telling the story she'd used in front of her father, and also not sure if she should tell them who. Based on what she'd seen and heard from Mulch today, he was a decent person, but not necessarily one of the good guys. Most certainly not a cop. And for some reason, she didn't want to accidentally give him away. "Well…" she started. "The man's name was Tombstone. I know, that couldn't be his real name," she added at the looks they all gave her, "But I wasn't going to press, either. His reputation is probably bigger by that name than whatever his real one was anyway. But anyway…" She continued on, telling them the whole conversation quickly, her eyes looking anywhere but at her father as she spoke.

There was a period of silence after she finished where everyone was too busy digesting everything she'd said to speak. Root was the first to break it.

"Well, it's obvious where we go from here, isn't it? This Tombstone man offered her a way in." He settled himself back down in his desk chair, looking at her seriously. "You need to take it."

"What?" Holly and her father both said at the same time. They looked at each other, then Holly continued quickly.

"But that wasn't what I agreed to. I agreed to gather information, not become a criminal," she blurted quickly, feeling herself panic slightly at the idea.

"Commander, she's not a cop," Christopher butted in. "She isn't trained for this. It's too dangerous to send her in with so little information, anyhow. Who knows what could happen?"

"What better way to gather information?" Root countered, sitting up. "We need this lead, Christopher. There's no one else who can do it. We've tried, and besides, Tombstone offered it to her, not anyone else. She's an adult; she can make her own decision. It's not up to you."

Chris scowled deeply, looking between him and Holly. "Do you want to?" he asked her at last, so quietly she almost didn't hear it.

She hesitated. "I don't know. That's… dangerous in a way I'm not entirely prepared for. I need to think."

Root nodded. "Fine. Take a few days. Think about it. I'm sure he would have expected you to anyway."

Holly nodded silently, thinking. She wasn't sure what to do now, if she was totally honest with herself. This was a lot more than she what she agreed to, but on the other hand, it was also what she signed up for in going into the Academy, and this would just be more real-world experience under her belt. But Fowl was dangerous, if what she'd heard so far was any indication, and she knew this wasn't a decision she should take lightly.

"Alright," she said at last. "I'll think about it."


	8. Chapter 8

**Since both 7 and 8 are really short and I'm on the roll with writing today, I just posted both of them. :P so please enjoy and let me know what you think!**

8.

Mulch Diggums was on the move again.

The dwarf was heading back towards the hotel that was both where he worked, and his half-time home. He had his own place - most of them did - but most days they didn't see much of their own houses. This field was tiring and all-encompassing, but worth it on days like today.

Today, he had good news, and a good idea to present to his boss. An idea, Mulch knew, he couldn't resist, and probably wouldn't want to.

Mulch's boss, of course, was none other than the infamous Fowl. This was where he got all his information, and his connections. And now, he was going to connect someone else with Fowl - Holly Short.

She wasn't with him now, but he hoped to bring her with him soon. The girl was the best weapon they could have managed to get their hands on. She was ready and willing to work, and he had no doubt that she had skills that they could put to use. But she also served another purpose - a bit more sinister than the first, if he was being honest, but that wasn't his concern. It was up to Fowl to decide if he wanted her at all or what use to put her to. Maybe both. But he had to tell him about her first.

He arrived back at their hotel headquarters a few hours after his meeting with Holly and went inside immediately. After a quick scouting through all the commons and meeting areas, he decided Fowl must be in his office and headed up to his level.

He went upstairs and stopped in front of his boss's office door. He knocked once. For a minute, there was no response, then the lock clicked open electronically. He went inside.

Artemis's office looked the same as it always did. His desk was directly across from the door, on the far side of the room. On Mulch's right, there was a fireplace with a fire blazing in its hearth, and two armchairs facing it nearby. Against the wall around the fireplace were several shelves of bookcases, filled to the edges with books. On the opposite wall were several filing cabinets. There was no other decor or furniture in the room. It was small for a boss's office, but Fowl had never needed much to function.

The man himself was, unsurprisingly, sitting on the far side of the room at his desk, typing rapidly as Mulch entered. "How was the party, Mulch?" he asked without even looking back.

Mulch seated himself in one of the armchair by the fire. Of course Artemis was referring to Julius Root's annual company party, which he was sent to infiltrate and catch up on the officer's buzz every year. "Great. Especially considering what I found."

"Anything worth investigating?"

"Something possibly very worth it, if you're interested."

Artemis spun the chair around, looking at him. He must have been working for a while. His eyes were darker than usual, ringed with black, slightly glazed over from staring at the screen for hours on end. He stood, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes as he moved to occupy the other armchair. He settled down and dropped his hands, looking at Mulch. "Elaborate."

"How much do you know about Root's officers?" Mulch asked.

Artemis shrugged. "A fair bit. I tend not to focus too much on any of them personally unless they are a cause for concern, though. That's what you're for."

The dwarf smiled slightly. It was true his long term assignment was to keep an eye on the comings and goings from the police station, which was why he did things like visit prisoners frequently to have an excuse to be inside and attended any social events he could get into to snoop around. "True. Does the name Short ring a bell? Christopher Short?"

His boss shrugged, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "Vaguely."

"Well, let me fill you in. He's Julius's right hand, and his first choice for most assignments that he wants handled right. The guy practically lives at the station most days, and he's been there for years." He stopped.

Artemis raised an eyebrow, waiting. "The significance?"

"The significance is that he has a daughter." Mulch looked at him pointedly.

Artemis just rolled his eyes. "If you're suggesting a ransom, I doubt the hassle is even worth the payout. If he would even pay."

Mulch chuckled. "Oh, he'd pay. But that's not what I'm suggesting at all." He paused. "I'm suggesting we recruit her. And, if worst comes to worst, we could use her. Not necessarily to ransom, but she'd be heavy leverage, at least."

"And you'd think she'd agree to that?" He chuckled. "I doubt it."

"Well, don't. Because she already has." He hesitated. "Well, she will, anyway."

Artemis pressed his lips together in a disapproving line. "What makes you so sure? And if it's blackmail, I'm not interested. I want loyal people, not coerced."

"It's not that," the dwarf assured. "I just know she will because, well… I can just tell. She's one of those people. She wants information, to prove herself, and I know she knows this would get it for her."

He thought about it for a few minutes, staring into the fire. "It would be a good way to get and plant information," he murmured thoughtfully. "And if something goes wrong, we'd easily be able to stop her and keep her out of the way. Good leverage later, as you said."

Mulch nodded silently. He could practically see the gears turning in the other man's head.

"Where did you meet this girl again?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, at the party, the first time. I recognized her instantly. She favors her mother, though." He smiled. "And we talked at the casino more recently. That's where she'll look for me."

Fowl nodded. "Alright." He stood up. "Take shifts watching the casino in case she shows up. We'll give her a week or so to see if she will." He headed back over to his desk.

Mulch nodded and stood up. His dismissal was clear. But he didn't mind. Mission accomplished. And he got to be in charge of it too.

Now all that was left to do was wait.


	9. Chapter 9

**I just have to say that I love all the positive feedback I'm getting with this story. I hope you all know that I'm enjoying writing this just as much as you are reading it, although on the writing side I'm sadly getting closer to the end. :(**

 **Also, just a heads up - I know everyone is super excited for them to meet finally, but there's still another three chapters for you to go before they meet at all, and another probably five before it gets really good. But now you all have something to look forward to. ;)**

 **Keep reviewing and giving me feedback! I love it and it really does help keep me going, knowingly I'm not just writing for myself. :)**

9.

Holly did think about it, for several days, going back and forth in her head on why she should and why she shouldn't do it. But, the whole time, she couldn't help thinking in her heart of hearts her mind was made up. She wanted to do it, to satisfy her own curiosity as much as for them. She couldn't explain why, really, but despite what she knew, she wanted to help. She wasn't keen on the idea of getting involved in criminal work, but as long as she didn't have to get involved in anything too heavy, she should be able to push through.

So she went back to the Plaza, after a few days, and straightened out the details with Root and Foaly. Her father knew, of course, but he didn't get much say, and he didn't seem incredibly keen to get involved in the first place. They made a solid story, geared her up again, and she went on her way alone.

No one had any real answers as to what would happen when she approached Mulch again, or afterwards. The best she had was the feeble communication they had decided to risk, and minimum intelligence. She wasn't sure what she was walking into, or for sure even if she would get into anything today. Only time would tell.

She left the Plaza and headed straight for the Cub Casino.

She had no way to get in contact with Mulch, but she was banking on the fact that Julius was right and he had expected her to actually take a bit and think about it, and thus would keep coming back here to check up, since he knew that she had no other method of finding him. (Aside from waiting for him to turn up at the police station, but she had a feeling that wasn't the best scenario to find him in, knowing what she'd realized now.)

It was early evening when she arrived this time, and she quickly realized that the last time she was here hadn't even touched on busy. It was almost impossible to find a place to park the car, and the casino was so full there was even people milling about outside, socializing and drinking.

She finally found a spot to park and shut the car off, then took a breath. She looked around. Her bag was in the back - she had packed some things, unsure how this venture was going to end today - and everything else important she had was on her. Nonetheless, she locked the car as she got out, and headed inside.

As she'd realized outside by the mass of people outside, today was even crazier than the time before. People were everywhere, the music was loud and thumping, and she couldn't see more than a few inches in front of her clearly because all of the people around. It was crazy.

She pushed through the crowd and made her way back to the bar again. It seemed like the safest and most obvious place to be for what she wanted to accomplish. This where she'd talked to him last time, after all, and she had a much better chance of spotting him from a set vantage point than by wandering around the massive crowd.

She settled in to wait, ordering a drink and scanning the crowd for a familiar face. For a while, it seemed like she wouldn't find one. Over an hour passed with no sign of him. Then another.

Sighing, she got up and stretched. She needed a bathroom break, then she'd find somewhere else to sit and start fresh.

She made her way through the casino, into the back hallway where the bathrooms were, following the signs. She went inside and went into one of the stalls.

When she came back out, she wasn't the only one in there. A woman was standing by one of the sinks, humming slightly as she reapplied her makeup in the mirror. Holly smiled briefly at her and started washing her hands, not really paying much attention to her.

But when she looked up again, the woman was looking at her. She ignored her as she dried her hands, and was about to leave when the woman finally spoke up. "You're Holly, right?"

Holly stopped in front of the door, turning slowly to look at her. "Do I know you?" she asked, reluctant to actually tell a stranger that in a building full of criminals. She suddenly had the thought that she was probably the only one here who used her real name.

"My name's Princess. Mulch sent me," she told her.

"Oh." Holly frowned slightly. "He was that sure I'd be back, was he?"

Princess shrugged, flipping her long blonde tresses over her shoulder. "It seemed likely enough. Even a goody-two-shoes like yourself gets curious every once in awhile." She leaned against the sink. "I mean, you're here, aren't you? Hard to get indignant when he was right."

"I'm not indignant, just surprised. I didn't realize I came off as that kind of person," she muttered.

"To a normal person, you might not. But you learn how to read people in this business," Princess replied flippantly. She stood up straight. "Come on. You should join us out here, if you're really interested."

"Us?" Holly repeated, following her out. "I thought it was just you."

"Nah. We don't go anywhere without a buddy. It sounds stupid, but you have to have someone to have your back if something goes wrong." She walked back out into the casino and started pushing through the crowd, not looking to see if Holly followed.

"Who's with you now, then?" Holly asked, pushing through the crowd and moving quickly to keep up.

"My brother," Princess replied easily. She suddenly came to a stop at the entrance to the rest area, scanning over the room full of tables for the one she had previously occupied. "There he is." She pointed towards a table in the back, then started walking.

Holly started to follow, then stopped for a moment when she saw the man at the table. He was huge. Not fat, but bulky. He had to be at least eight feet tall, and by the look of it every inch of him was muscle. She looked back at Princess. The girl was tall and well-defined, but she didn't see much resemblance between the mass of muscle at the table and her. "That's your brother?" she asked incredulously.

Princess laughed at her in response. "The family resemblance is striking, isn't it?" she said dryly, smirking back at her.

Holly just shook her head, still slightly dumbfounded as they approached the table. Her brother looked up as they approached. "You found her." His voice was deep and gravelly, fitting for such a big man.

"Yep." She flopped down in the chair next to him and patted the one on her other side, indicating for Holly to join them. She did, cautiously, not saying anything just yet. "She was hiding out in the bathroom."

Before Holly could protest, the big man laughed and said, "I can't imagine why. Second thoughts before you've even talked to us?"

She pressed her lips together, unsure what exactly to say. The best lies had a touch of truth, she reminded herself. "I'm nervous," she admitted, which wasn't a lie in itself. "I've never really acted out before, let alone at this level."

"I imagine." He crossed his arms, leaning back. "So you really want to know about what we do? This business is hard to get out of, you know." His dark eyes bored into her.

Holly squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "So I've heard. But I want to do something. I don't know what I can do for you guys, really, but I'd still like to try. I'm tired of being treated like a child."

"What qualifications do you have, then?" he asked, tilting his head at her.

Holly blinked. Who knew you needed qualifications to become a criminal? she thought to herself, but didn't say it outloud. "Qualifications?" she asked carefully instead.

"Yes." Princess looked at her too, raising an eyebrow. "Qualifications. Meaning, what can you do?"

"Well…" She thought about it, unsure what exactly to tell them. How likely was it that they would be able to check what she told them? If they had any resources at all, probably incredibly likely. A variation of the truth, then. "Tombstone may have told you this, but my father is Chris Short. He's been a cop for as long as I can remember. I spend a lot of time in the station, so I have a lot of information on what the cops know. Or I can get it, at least." She paused, thinking, wondering how much to tell them and how much to twist it. "I wanted to follow in his footsteps," she murmured, looking down. "For a long time. I'm in my second year at the Academy. But I don't think it's for me anymore now." She looked up again, meeting both of their eyes in turn. "I have skills, and knowledge, from the Academy. I'm a decent fighter. I can use a variety of weapons, and I know what they look for, how they think. And due to my ties, no one would ever suspect me."

"You're still in the Academy?" He frowned slightly. "And how do you intend to do that, and be that close with them, and not get caught?"

She bit her lip, thinking fast. "I don't," she answered simply. "I'll drop out… if this works out, that is. I doubt anyone will think anything of it. Most women don't make it through, after all."

"And your father? What will he say to that?" Princess looked at her. "You don't think he'd find it odd?"

"Of course I do. But he won't have to know. As far as he's concerned, that's where I'd be." Holly shrugged. Inside, her stomach churned, and she had to remind herself it was all just a story. Maybe.

"So you'd be willing to cut ties?" she pressed. "This isn't an easy life, Holly. And someone like him can spot it from miles away, I'm sure."

She bit her lip. "I suppose so. If that's what it takes," she answered quietly. She met her eyes.

Princess looked at her brother, and their gazes held. A moment of silent communication ensued.

Finally, they looked away from each other, back to her. "Well," her brother rumbled, "If you really want to help, I think we can find a use for you."

"Really?" Holly sat up. "That's great news-"

"But if you need to understand something first," he interrupted. He met her gaze again, his eyes dark and serious. "Once you're in, you're in. There isn't really a way out. And we need to get back to headquarters, so if you want in, you need to come with us now."

"Headquarters? Now?" Holly repeated, a little surprised. Would they really waltz her right into the heart of their operations the first day? It seem almost too easy.

Princess nodded. "I don't suppose you brought anything with you, did you?"

Holly paused, then shook off her surprise and nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course I did. Always be prepared, right?"

Brother and sister exchanged a look, then both looked back at her, grinning. "Right," she repeated. "Now, let's go then."

They both got up and started to lead her out, still sharing a smirk. And, in that moment, as she followed them out, she suddenly saw the resemblance.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

A few hours later, Holly was laying in the backseat of the siblings' car, staring blankly out the window.

She'd intended to drive herself, but they'd insisted she ride with them, so she'd simply got her things from her backseat, locked it up, and went with them. She didn't see much other choice. It seemed like a bad idea to get on their bad sides already. But she couldn't help feeling like there was something more sinister behind the insistence. She was supposed to be becoming a partner with them, but it almost felt more like she was a prisoner. Like they didn't want her to have means of escape.

She tried to shake the thought off. She had to just be being paranoid. After all, she'd just met these people, and her story was feasible enough. There was no way they were onto her already…. right?

She jolted to attention as the car came to a stop. The man, whose name she still hadn't gotten, had pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be an abandoned motel and threw the car in park.

She glanced up at the siblings, and they were both getting out of the car. Holly frowned slightly and followed.

Princess looked over the car at her from the passenger side and grinned. "Welcome home."

Holly's frowned deepened as she looked around. "This is headquarters?" It looked like it had been nice once, sure, but now it appeared to have fallen into disrepair and been long abandoned. It was a beautiful building, in a haunting way. It was tall and brick, with vines and ivy climbing the old walls and twining around the building. In the dozens of windows she saw curtains that appeared to be intact, covering them so one couldn't see in. It towered above them, and above the trees around them, going up for at least a dozen stories. She looked behind her. Dirt roads and trees. No street signs, let alone any other signs of civilization. She didn't even see any power lines. Was it possible they didn't have power? Was living in an abandoned place like this all the more sophisticated this company actually was?

She gulped slightly, suddenly realizing she probably should have paid much more attention on the way here.

Princess's grin grew at her obvious apprehension. "It's better than it looks," she promised. She motioned her along. "Come on. I'll show you." She headed towards the building.

Holly bit her lip and shouldered her bag. Taking a deep breath, she followed her.

Directly inside the door was a dark cement corridor leading up. The other two immediately started following it, and she followed them. There were several corridors offset of the one they were traveling, but the two never stopped, going straight up the corridor for most of it.

Finally, they came to a concrete door. Holly and Princess waited as her brother unlocked it, then went inside.

Holly followed Princess out, then stopped short in the doorway. Whatever she'd expected, it wasn't this.

Whatever the outside of the hotel looked like, the inside was the opposite. It was immaculate, beautifully decorated, and brightly lit. The only similarity between the inside and out was the feeling. It was gorgeous and well serviced inside, but mostly empty. It still carried the same haunting air about it.

Princess took her by the shoulder and steered her inside, not speaking as she waited for Holly's obvious shock to wear off. It took a minute, but as Princess dragged her through the building, she slowly became desensitized to all the glamour around her and came to. The first thing she blurted was, "How?"

The other girl raised an eyebrow at her. "How what? The electricity?" Holly nodded slowly, figuring that was as a good a place as any to start. "Generators, for the most part. We tore down the power lines, and Fowl destroyed any record of them easily. It helps keep us off the grid."

There was that name again. The thought of the seeming impossibilities of the building flew from her mind. "That's your boss, right? Is he here?"

Princess nodded absentmindedly. "He's here somewhere, although I'm not sure where. I imagine my brother went to find him."

"Why? Do I get to meet him?" Holly asked casually, trying not to seem overly excited. Even if she couldn't get back to Root now, she could still call and give them a description. That might be a major break for them, to know who they were looking for, if by appearance and not name.

Princess shrugged. "Eventually, I'm sure, but probably not today. Come on. Let's get you settled in." She headed towards a set of stairs, pulling Holly with her.

Holly blinked. "Am I supposed to stay here?" she asked, voicing the question that had been bouncing around in her head since the car.

"Where else would you go?" Princess demanded, swinging around to look at her. "You said you were dropping out of the Academy post-break, and that you'd stop seeing your family, so where else would you go? You were staying with them, weren't you?"

Holly stared at her. She hadn't expected them to know that. "Y-yes," she stuttered, surprise making her answer honestly. "But-"

"Then why would you leave when there's nowhere for you to go?" She raised an eyebrow at her.

Unable to think of a proper response, Holly just shrugged. "I guess there's no point. I just wondered," she murmured. In her head, she made a mental note not to make any assumptions about these people again.

"Well, now you know." Princess started walking again. "Within reason, you can come and go as you please, as long as we don't need you for anything and somebody knows. But there's not really anywhere to go for miles around, so there's not much point."

Holly nodded, following her silently the rest of the way even as Princess talked on. Again, she couldn't help having the sinking feeling in her stomach. They'd effectively cut her off from civilization, took away any means of transportation that didn't come from them, and it wasn't like she had any idea where she was. Of course, the last thing was partially her own fault for not paying more attention on the ride, but it was crazy to expect her to remember every detail of the several hour ride even if she was paying attention.

Maybe the feeling would go away. Maybe all new recruits felt like this. After all, even though she hadn't really seen any others yet, they made it sound like this was common practice. So perhaps it wasn't just her that felt this way, in the beginning. Or maybe it was just her own paranoia, knowing that she really would be in trouble if she got caught.

But then again, maybe it wasn't.

Several flights of stairs later, Princess stopped in front of a green door. She pulled a key out of her pocket, unlocked the door, then handed it to Holly. Wordlessly, she pushed open the door and gestured her in.

Holly walked in and looked around as Princess came in behind her. "This is your rooms. Everyone's pretty much looks the same to start, but you can decorate it however you want. Just be aware that it can be subject to random search, so don't put anything to embarrassing up." She smirked at her.

Holly was only half listening. The door opened up into a kitchen area, with counters lining the back wall and a round small table in the middle of the room. There was five chairs spaced evenly around the little table. She walked into the next room to find a small, cozy sitting area, and in the door attached to that room led to the bedroom, and then to the bathroom, and then back to the kitchen area. It was only four rooms with doors leading to each, making a giant loop.

Princess followed her through as she explored, not saying much. Holly leaned against the table as they returned to the kitchen. "It's cozy," she admitted.

"It's not much, but like I said, all of our quarters look this way to start. Do with it what you want." She waved her hand and turned to leave, then stopped and looked at her. "Oh, and all our quarters are on this floor, so if you need anything, just knock on someone's door. Mine's the pink one down the hall."

"What do I do now?" Holly asked before she could walk out.

Princess paused. "Nothing, for today. You can explore if you like. Just don't go too far." She shrugged, then walked out and closed the door behind her.

Holly stood there for a minute after she left, staring at the door. She wasn't really sure what to do with herself now. Shrugging, she went back into the bedroom, threw her bag on the bed, and set out to explore like Princess had suggested.

She pocketed her key and stepped cautiously outside her door, looking around. It seemed kind of foolish to lock her door, as she was sure that anyone who wanted to get in would be able to one way or another. She was currently in a building full of criminals, after all.

She walked down the hall slowly, looking around. The doors on this floor were all painted odd colors, she noticed. Wondering whether all of the floors were like this, she started up the stairs again to look around.

It seemed like the upper levels of the building had been transformed into the real living spaces. As she went up, she saw conference rooms and labs and a whole variety of things. To her delight, only two floors up from her quarters she discovered a dojo. Smiling to herself, she went inside.

It was fully equipped with every possible type of equipment one could dream of. Treadmills and other exercise equipment was in one area, a shooting range in another, boxing equipment in even another. A variety of weapons were arranged in cases along the walls. The floors were lined with mats and the majority of the gym was wide open for sparring. One of the walls even had a built-in rock wall - one taken from a real cliff face, if the appearance was anything to judge by.

She started towards the rock wall but stopped at the sound of someone opening the door behind her. She whirled around to find Princess's brother standing behind her.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Exploring?"

"Something like that. This place is incredible." She looked around again.

"I know. Juliet and I built it." He started towards the weapons cabinets.

Holly frowned, following him. "Who's Juliet?" she asked, thinking she must not have met her yet.

"My sister." He opened the cabinet, staring at the assortment of weapons thoughtfully. "Princess is her alias."

"Oh." Holly blinked in surprise. "So Juliet her real name?"

"Yes." He gestured to the cabinet. "Do you know how to use any of this stuff?"

She ducked under his arm to look. Most of what was in the cabinet was hand-to-hand combat weaponry - fake swords, wooden staffs, fencing tools, the like. She shrugged. "Not really. I'm best with shooting weapons and just regular hand-to-hand grappling."

"That's good, but it's even better to be able to use anything your surroundings offer up." He reached in and grabbed one of the smaller staffs, weighing it before offering it to her.

Holly took it, weighing it herself. It fit almost perfectly in her hand, and was lightweight for her to be able to handle it with both hands but heavy enough to do some damage. "What do I do with this?"

"I'll teach you." He grabbed his own staff from the cabinet and motioned her out into one the sparring areas.

"You never did tell me your name, you know," Holly said as she followed him.

"Butler." He stopped in the middle of the mat and turned to face her. "And that's my real name, although not my first."

"Is Juliet her first name?" Holly asked curiously.

"Yes."

"Why don't you use yours?"

"I just don't. It's bad luck where I come from. Juliet is the only one who knows it." He lifted his staff and showed her how to hold it.

She mirrored him easily. "Why does she do it then?"

"Juliet and I are very different, as I'm sure you've noticed," he told her dryly.

Holly laughed. "That much I've noticed on my own, yes."

"Well, it doesn't take a genius, frankly. Now, focus," he ordered, readying his weapon. Holly obeyed.

They spent the next few hours sparring uninterrupted. Butler was much better than her, without a doubt, but she was a quick learner, and she got better the longer they went on.

Finally, after several hours, Butler lowered his staff and studied her. She was getting better, but she was also getting tired, and it was starting to impair their progress.

"Let's call it quits for now," he told her. "You're a quick study, but you're not going to get any better today."

Holly nodded, not inclined to argue. She was in shape, granted, but even still her muscles ached and she was dripping with sweat after so long. "Alright. Thanks, Butler."

He nodded just as the door to the dojo flew opened again. Mulch marched in, grinning.

"Mulch!" Holly grinned back at the dwarf. "It's good to see you."

"You too, kid. I'm glad you decided to join us." He nodded to the staff. "Training already?"

She shrugged. "It was a fun workout. I learned a lot."

Mulch shrugged back. "It's your pain, kid, not mine. Do what you like." He stopped. "Why don't you clean up and join us for dinner?"

"Sounds good." She stood up straight, taking her weight off the staff, and walked over to put it away. "Where did-" she started, looking back before spotting the answer in the doorway.

Butler was standing by the door, talking to someone she couldn't see behind his mass of bulk. As she watched, they finished talking and Butler turned back around, coming back towards them. She saw a flash of black disappear around the corner.

She frowned slightly, putting her staff back in the case. Butler approached behind her as she stepped back from the case. "Who was that?"

"Just the boss checking on some things." Butler put his own weapon away. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Holly nodded, looking at the door. The elusive Fowl was only about ten feet away from her just a few minutes ago, and she still hadn't seen him. It was actually pretty frustrating.

"Well, I'm going to go clean up before dinner then," she told Butler. "Will you be there?"

"Most likely. Do you remember the way to your room?"

"I think so."

He shrugged. "I'm headed the same direction. I'll walk you there."

Seeing no reason to object, she let him walk her back to the floor where their rooms were before disappearing into her own to shower.

She showered quickly and went back to what was now her bedroom, looking through her bag for something to wear. Should she dress formally? Butler was dressed formally earlier, but Juliet wasn't, and neither was Mulch. She wasn't really sure if it mattered, and she hadn't really brought much to chose from either.

In the end she settled on jeans and a collared button up shirt. It looked professional enough, but was also comfortable enough to pass for casual. It seemed safe enough, so she threw up her hair quickly and headed up.

She'd discovered the dining area a few levels up earlier in the day while exploring. It seemed like the lower levels were left untouched so the appearance of the hotel being abandoned would hold up if someone accidentally stumbled upon it. She headed towards it.

Juliet and Mulch were already there when she arrived, and the food was already spread out for consumption. Neither Butler nor the infamous Fowl were anywhere to be seen.

She took a seat beside Mulch. Juliet smiled at her as she sat down. "I heard you had a sparring session with my brother. I'm amazed you're in one piece."

Holly smiled back. "Give me some credit. I know I'm just a cop-in-training, and a newbie to you guys, but my dad was a paranoid parent long before any of this." She shrugged. "I started training at a young age."

The table went quiet for a moment at the mention of cops, then Juliet shrugged. "Well, he was going easy on you in any case, but I'm still impressed. Maybe we can spar tomorrow."

"I think I'd like that." Holly smiled. "I'm kind of dying to try out that rock wall."

"It's great fun," Juliet admitted. "But we have no harnesses, just so you're aware."

"Oh." She frowned slightly, then shrugged too. "We'll see then."

They all loaded their plates and started eating. The conversation continued through dinner - easy going and natural. Holly started to forget her misgivings and wonder what had caused them in the first place. She actually felt at home here. She liked these guys - a lot.

Butler nor Fowl never did show up for dinner. Holly went back to her room after and got ready for bed.

As she flopped into her bed, she pulled out her phone for the first time in hours and checked it. Guilt washed over her when she saw the dozens of text from her father. Apparently, he'd found out where she was now.

She chewed her lip for a moment, debating. Finally, she sighed and hit the call button.

He picked up on the second ring. "What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded before she could speak.

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You could have at least told me!" he growled. "You just left!"

"You knew!" Holly defended. "You were there when Root asked me to do it!"

"But I didn't think you would, let alone without telling me!" her dad snapped. "Holly, do you realize what you agreed to? Even this call could get you killed if anyone is listening!"

Her eyes automatically flicked around, looking for any sign of surveillance. "I think I'm fine for now. And I know what I'm getting into. This is my career choice too, Dad."

He took a deep, shaky breath on the other side of the line. "I know, but it wasn't supposed to be yet." He stopped for a second. "Did you at least get anything?"

Holly hesitated. She knew she could give him the names of everyone she'd met so far, but again she was hesitant to. "Not yet," she said finally. "I haven't got anything interesting yet. I'm in headquarters, but I honestly have no idea where I am. And everybody is using aliases."

He sighed, and she knew he was rubbing his temple on the other end. "Alright. Just be careful."

"I will. I promise." She bit her lip. "Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Holly." He hung up.

Holly stared at her phone for a long minute, then erased her call log and hooked the phone to the charger. She laid down and stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally going to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

The next week went by in a flash. Holly was never really given an official assignment. She spent the days training with Butler and Juliet and getting to know some of Fowl's inner circle really well. She still had yet to actually see the criminal himself, except for that flash of black her first day there. To be honest, she didn't think about it much after the first day. She kept herself pretty busy. She almost forgot that she was there on assignment and not her own choice.

If she was being honest with herself, she was probably enjoying herself a bit too much. She was starting to feel like one of them, and she couldn't honestly say that she didn't like it.

Juliet had noticed after the first few days that she hadn't really brought much, and decided that it would be a good idea to go shopping. One morning, around a week or so after she'd arrived, she woke Holly up bright and early and informed her that they were going now.

Holly agreed, hoping that maybe she might be able to get some idea of where she was, and maybe even glean some information she'd be willing to give to Root. But it became apparent as they went to leave that they weren't going the same way they'd come, back towards home, but somewhere else entirely. She shrugged it off, figuring maybe she could still learn something from Juliet.

They drove for a few hours in relative silence, the sound of the radio keeping it from getting uncomfortable. Holly hummed along and stared out the window, admiring their surroundings. Although she had no idea where she was, except for in some woods somewhere, it was a beautiful area.

Juliet drove them to a small town a few hours away from the hotel. Based on the amount of time she remembered between the hotel, the casino, and the drive home from the casino, she estimated that she had to be at least a day's drive away from Haven.

The pulled into a small boutique and Juliet shut the car off, looking at her. "It's nothing fancy, but I didn't have permission to use the jet, so… we'll make do," she told her as she got out.

Holly blinked in surprise, then climbed out after her. "You have a jet?" she demanded, rounding the car.

"Fowl has a private one, and there's a few he occasionally lets us use. I didn't ask this time, since there wasn't much point. We don't need anything fancy." She shrugged, heading towards the entrance to the store. Holly followed silently, unsure what to say to that.

Inside, the store was a lot bigger than it looked. It was two stories high, all full of clothes. Holly looked around, unsure where to start or how she intended to pay for a whole new wardrobe. She'd brought some money with her, but not a lot, and certainly not enough to buy more than a few things.

Juliet seemed to have no such qualms, although she seemed to notice Holly's uneasiness. She rolled her eyes, taking her by the arm like she had her first day at the hotel, and started dragging her deeper into the store. "Come on, let's start over here. And don't worry about paying for it; it's on me."

"I shouldn't let you do that," Holly muttered.

"Well, tough. Consider it of personal interest, since we can probably share half of the stuff we're about to buy." She winked at her. Holly smiled back, feeling herself relax slightly.

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can convince myself that it's for selfish reasons and let you do it," she relented. Juliet grinned at her.

Within a few minutes, the other girl had tossed her a mountain of things to try on. Holly was stumbling under the weight of all the clothes she was carrying as they headed to the fitting rooms.

"So can I ask you something?" Holly asked her from the fitting room. She pulled on a red sweater and tilted her head, looking at it in the mirror. It contrasted starkly with her hair, but it was comfy and it didn't look bad.

"I don't see why not," Juliet said from the stall beside her. "I can't promise I'll know all the answers, but I won't lie."

Holly pulled off the sweater and started making a pile. "Is Fowl always this elusive?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just… he hasn't joined us at meals at all, he doesn't train at all, or anything like that. It's like he's a ghost most of the time. I haven't seen him at all since I arrived. I just wondered if he's specifically avoiding me for some reason, or if he's always cooped up where no one sees him." She pulled on another top to try.

Juliet thought a minute before answering. "What you don't know, Holly, is that Fowl is very much purpose-driven. If he doesn't see a reason to do something, most often times, he won't do it. He typically doesn't join us for meals, and most of the time, you won't see him out of his quarters without a purpose. He works a lot. It's just what he does."

Holly nodded, pulling off the top and tossing it aside. She didn't like that one. "Can I ask you something more personal?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you do this?" Holly looked through the clothes on hangers she'd brought in, debating what to try on next. "I just…. don't really understand what drives you, specifically."

Juliet sighed. "I… was born into it, to be honest with you. It just kind of happened." She hesitated, seemingly weighing her words carefully. "My family has always worked for the Fowls. My brother had already started when I was born, and I wasn't expected to do anything different. And I don't mind, to be honest with you. He treats us well enough, and I get to stay with my brother, and…. Well, if I wasn't here, I don't know what I'd do with myself."

Holly nodded to herself, not thinking about the fact that Juliet couldn't see her. "That makes sense, I guess," she murmured.

Juliet was quiet for a moment. "I know what you've probably been trained to believe," she said quietly. "And I know how weird this has to be for you. But we're not really bad people. We all have our reasons for being here, going this way. Even Fowl." She paused and then chuckled dryly. "Although he'd never tell you what they are."

She nodded silently again, unsure how to respond to that. She tried on clothes silently for a few minutes until she was suddenly struck by a thought. "So…. you guys all use your real names around each other, right?"

"At headquarters, yeah," Juliet responded. "Why?"

"So…. is Fowl your boss's real name?"

She hesitated again, as if unsure whether she should answer that or not. "Well… yes. But it's his last name, not his first."

"I see." Holly chewed her lip, lost in thought. They tried on the rest of their clothes silently.

Juliet finished quicker than Holly did and waited for her outside. Holly came out with only about half the clothes she went in with. The other girl scowled silently at her but didn't comment.

After about another hour in the store and a few more trips to the fitting rooms, they checked out and headed back to the hotel. Holly was certain she had way more clothes than she would ever really need in her life, but Juliet had insisted on buying everything that had fit, no matter how much she swore she didn't need nor would ever wear half of it.

Holly took the ride back as an opportunity to ask Juliet some more questions, finding the other girl was very talkative when she was happy.

"So how long have you been in this line of work?"

"My whole life, pretty much," Juliet admitted. "Like I said, I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't here."

"Don't tell me you've never thought about it."

"Of course I have. But… getting out of this business is hard, and if anyone ever found out…" She shrugged. "I mean, we use public aliases for a reason, but everything comes out eventually. It's just reality."

"What would you do, if you could?" Holly looked at her.

"I want to wrestle." She glanced at her. "I mean, if I could risk it… I'd become a professional wrestler. That's where my alias comes from - the stage name I would use. But…" She sighed, quirking a shoulder. "Even if I left the business successfully, I wouldn't be able to risk seeing my brother very much, or anyone else I know. Like I said, I grew up with these guys. They are my only family."

Holly nodded, looking out the window. She suddenly felt a surge of guilt. She was supposed to be here to try to stop this, but more and more, she hesitated. Perhaps if she could just take out Fowl, the rest of them would finally be able to walk away. But then she glanced at Juliet again. Would they even want to?

She really needed to just see him, at least. She needed to pass judgement on him for herself. Everyone here protected him and swore that he wasn't just a petty common criminal. Everyone on the outside swore he was insanely dangerous and wanted him locked up. She had no idea what was true yet, with no information and little to no knowledge to go off of.

She sighed, pushing the thoughts away. There wasn't much she could do about it now. She couldn't afford to push too hard for information, or they'd all suspect that something was up. She wasn't a fan of the idea of getting caught, especially after starting to bond with everyone here.

"What do you do here, anyway?" Holly asked as they pulled back into the hotel parking lot.

"What do you mean?"

Holly shrugged. "Like...what's your job here, I guess. What do you do for Fowl?"

Juliet climbed out, starting to pull out bags. Holly went around to help. "None of us really have assigned jobs, really... I mean, some of us have long term missions, like Mulch, which is why he comes and goes so much. But for the most part we all just have things we're good at that we typically do during jobs. Me, I'm usually either muscle or distraction. Sometimes both." She pushed the door closed with her foot. "For the most part, when we're here, we just relax and train. There's not much else to do. Research, occasionally." She shrugged, heading towards the entrance.

Holly followed, her arms also full of bags. "I just wondered, since I haven't been told to do anything since getting here. I thought it would be a lot busier than this."

"Most of the time, it's just like this." Juliet shrugged. "This is the hideout, basically. We all have our own places, but when we're waiting for a major plan to go through, we all stay here. Get updates as they come, stay off the grid in case something would come to light."

"So something major is in the works right now?" Holly asked, feeling her pulse quicken slightly at the thought.

"Yeah. But I'm not sure what it is yet." Juliet frowned. "We don't get told much until it's necessary, and even then none of us ever know the whole plan. Fowl's careful that way."

"I...see." Mind spinning with this new information, Holly was silent the rest of the way to her quarters. That matched with what Root was worried about, why he'd sent her now - Fowl was planning something big, but it looked like she'd have a hard time finding out what.

Juliet came in with her and helped put all her stuff away. She talked the whole time, mindlessly, but Holly found she was having a hard time focusing now. Emotions pushed their way from her stomach to her throat, seeming to clog it up. Sure, she liked these people, but hearing Juliet admit that something big was going to happen reminded her in an unpleasant way why she was there. This plan, whatever it was, was illegal, and no doubt would involve putting people in danger - his cronies, but also likely civilians, and authorities….authorities like her father.

She looked at Juliet again, and her resolve strengthened. She'd thrown her lot in with the wrong people, whether she liked her or not. And maybe it was time to call Root and tell him what she knew, little as it still was at the moment. Any little bit could help them piece together the truth. And as for Fowl's plan, whatever it may be, she was determined to stop it. She had to pick a side, like it or not, and now…she thought she'd figured out which one it was.


	12. Chapter 12

**Since this chapter is shorter than most but I'm excited for it, Ill give it to you guys now. Just please keep reviewing and giving me feedback. Every review makes me smile and want to write a little more. :) enjoy!**

12.

Artemis had a dilemma.

The new girl had arrived over a week ago, and he still hadn't talked to her. He knew he needed to, but he hadn't really figured out how to yet.

Simply, he knew she was an informant. Well, he suspected, although he currently had no proof. He'd watched her the whole week, and he found himself infatuated with her - the way she carried herself, her mannerisms, her seeming lack of confidence. Nothing she did had set off the alarm bells, not yet, but her story seemed too good to be true. People like her, with everything lined up, with the kind of devotion to her family she had, didn't just turn on them for no reason. He would know. He would be somewhere entirely different, doing something entirely different, had things went differently for his father.

And so he doubted her. But he had no proof.

He needed to tread carefully, he knew. He had her here, where he wanted to keep her - he could keep her under lock and key, under his control, as leverage, like Mulch suggested. But he also saw great benefit in letting her continue the charade for a while. If he gave everyone else correct information and let them feed bits of it to her to pass on, he could catch the people she was working for in his trap easily.

So he wouldn't let her know he was onto her; not yet. But he had to find a logical way to work her into his plan, in a way that made her expendable but believable to her and her boss - whom he was sure, without a doubt, was Root. Only he could have come up with such a plan - just idiotic enough to work, hiding her in plain sight, and not at all what he had expected as a third attempt, to say the least.

The problem was she was currently collecting real information too, like his employees names, and skills. She may have even figured out their location. Eventually, she'd have to figure out his name. And this wasn't information he necessarily wanted authorities to know.

It wasn't that he couldn't easily create them all new identities and disappear, because he could. But he liked being himself. And it was highly amusing to watch the authorities scramble for answers that were right in front of them.

His biggest dilemma was the fact that in order to talk to her, he had to show himself to her. And if he did, she'd have a description of him to give to them.

Somehow, he had to keep her from telling them those things. He had to make her not want to, or distract her somehow - with the plan, maybe. He'd found his best version now, he was sure, and he was working out the details. It was almost ready. He could start handing out bits of it to get back to her. But first, he had to warn everyone.

And even before that, he still had to talk to her.

This would be interesting, to say the least.

oOoOoOoOo

After a long sparring session with Juliet in the dojo, Holly returned to her room and went straight to the shower. It was early afternoon, but they had both gotten up early for an intensive training session, and she was exhausted. She was looking forward to getting clean and falling into bed for a quick nap.

She'd called her father the night before and reported most everything she'd learned for certain so far to him. Although she did feel guilty about it, she kept pressing the guilt down every time it threatened to rise in her chest. She had to keep reminding herself why she was here. These people were dangerous, whether she liked them or not. Keeping them from hurting innocent people was what she was here to do, not make friends.

She got out of the shower and wrapped up in a towel, going back to her room to dig out something to wear. She almost jumped out of her skin when she opened the door to see someone already standing in the opposite doorway. Whoever it was was obviously male, but it wasn't anyone she recognized - too tall for Mulch, too thin for Butler. The intruder leaned casually in her doorframe, obviously waiting for her, and standing in just the right way so his face was shrouded in shadow. "What are you doing in here?" Holly asked uncertainly.

"Waiting for you," came the obvious answer. He straightened, crossing his arms over his thin chest. She still couldn't make out his face.

Holly bit her lip and shivered slightly, acutely aware she was still wet and in a towel. "Who are you?"

"You don't know?" His lips turned up in a slight smirk.

"Should I?"

His smirk grew a little, and he quirked a shoulder. "No."

Holly frowned, still scrutinizing his face, trying to make it out and figure out what to do. She was at a loss. He obviously wasn't going to be forthcoming.

After a moment of staring at each other in silence, Holly simply turned and went into her closet to get dressed, unsure what else to do.

She pulled the door shut behind her and locked it, then turned to her clothes. Would he leave? Who was he? She hadn't really seen many other people around here aside from Juliet, Butler, and Mulch. A few had come and gone, but he obviously wasn't any of them that she'd seen. She knew Fowl was around here somewhere, but surely that wasn't him. Could it be? Why would he just suddenly show up in her room? And his answer, that she shouldn't know him - should she know him, if it was Fowl? If it was, it made her wonder if her earlier thoughts could be true, that he was avoiding her. It would certainly help explain why he hadn't turned the lights in her quarters on when he came in, aside from to startle her, if he was trying to keep her from seeing him well.

Sighing slightly, she pulled on a pair of black leggings and a pink sweatshirt, attempting to appear dressed but still be comfortable. Even if he left, her mind was still buzzing enough she'd never get to sleep.

She exited her closet and looked around. He was no longer in her doorway, and nowhere in sight. Perhaps he'd just wanted to mess with her and had left when she hadn't taken the bait.

Holding on to this thought, she went in the kitchen to get something to eat - she hadn't had anything since around sunrise, when she'd met Juliet outside to train, and she was starving - then stopped dead in the doorway.

He was sitting at her small table, a laptop propped open in front of him. He must have seen her come in from his peripheral, because his eyes flicked up to hers as she stopped. He met her gaze with startling dark blue eyes and smirked again. "Hoping I left?"

"Hoping to know who you are and why you're still here, more like," Holly replied immediately, then bit her lip. If this was Fowl, she should probably keep her smart mouth shut before she got herself in trouble.

But his smirk simply grew in response. Her snapping seemed to amuse him. "I think I'll let you figure out the first part, at least, for yourself," he told her.

Ignoring him, she went to her cabinet and opened it, starting to look through for something to eat. She could feel his gaze boring into her back, but she pretended not to notice as she grabbed cup of instant noodles and started to open it. She filled it and put it in the microwave to cook, then turned to face him again, only to find he'd closed the lid of his computer and turned to watch her.

"Why are you here, then?" Holly demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn't help feeling slightly unnerved by the strength of his stare. "You said you'd tell me that much."

He shrugged, never taking his eyes off her. "I said perhaps I'd tell you the second part. But I believe I've left you all the clues you'll need to figure it out, too." He stood up.

"Then you pretty much broke into my quarters just to, what, mess with my mind, Fowl?" Holly snapped, losing her temper and better judgement slightly. She really should know better, based on everything she'd heard about him, than to try to tick him off, but the fact that he only seemed amused by everything she said, and that this seemed to actually be the case, really bugged her.

He grinned, almost ferally, and she knew she was right. "If you're smart enough to figure out who I am, then you ought to be smart enough to figure that out, too. And, a word of advice…" He stepped up to her, tilting her chin up with his forefinger, making her look into his eyes. His breath tickled her face, smelling like tea and something almost ashy. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and not assuming you're as stupid as you're acting. You'd best return the favor and assume that I'm intelligent enough to know exactly who you are." He released her, and before she could draw in a breath to recover her senses, he was gone.

Holly released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, staring at the door he'd disappeared through. She had the fleeting thought that he'd left his computer - then realized with a jolt that it was her computer. What was he doing with her computer?

Ignoring her beeping microwave, she scrambled over to the table and threw open the lid on her computer, looking frantically for what he'd been looking at. But when she opened it, the only thing pulled up was a single file that she'd never seen before. Scrolling through it quickly, she saw the file was something to do with an assignment.

She frowned, closing the lid on the computer slowly. It must have been about her first assignment. But why go through that whole charade just to give it to her? It didn't make much sense.

Sighing, she returned to the microwave and got her soup, then sat down at the table. Shaking her head slightly, she opened her computer and settled down to actually read the file.

After a few minutes of reading, she sat back and chewed it over. Her part was simple, probably because he wasn't sure if he could trust her enough to give her anything big to do - stay close and help guard him and keep watch while they were on the move and while he worked. There was no major details in her instructions, just like Juliet had told her before. It was short and sweet, straight to the point.

The point… that made her think again of Fowl's odd visit. Why had he done that? Surely there were better ways to go about giving her instructions to her.

Juliet's words from their shopping trip came back to her. Fowl never did anything without reason. What was the reason for this?

She chewed on this thought as she finished her soup and went in and curled up on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She should call her dad and tell him about this new development, she knew, but she couldn't quite bring herself to. She really wanted to lay down, and Fowl's words were still ringing in her ears besides. Could he really know she was an informant? Was he just testing her? Or perhaps he had a different meaning entirely, and her guilty conscience was just needling at her.

She finally fell asleep, her head spinning with thoughts.

oOoOoOoOoOo

She woke up around midnight feeling fully rested and cursing herself for it. She got up and stumbled into her kitchen, her stomach rumbling from missing dinner.

She made herself a quick meal and went into her small living space, curling up in a chair by the fireplace. She looked around, eyeing the room for anything that might be hidden cameras or spy gear, then pulled out her phone and called her dad.

Despite the time, he answered on the second ring. "Hello?" He didn't sound drowsy, like he should if she'd woken him up, although he did sound a bit tired.

"Hey." She laid it on the arm of the chair, turning on the speakerphone so she could eat while they talked. "Why are you still up?"

"I'm still at work." He paused. "Why are you up?"

"I just woke up. Early start, and then I took a nap. I slept later than I intended." She poked at her food, hesitating. "So… I have something to tell you."

"Anything good?" her father asked, sounding almost tired enough that he didn't care, but his exhaustion couldn't mask his interest.

"I met Fowl today."

All trace of exhaustion seemed to disappear instantly. "Really?"

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah…. He was really intense. And the visit was… odd. And short."

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"No," Holly admitted, sighing. "I tried, but it was dark, and I was more focused on how he was acting. He was really weird… he kept talking in riddles and stuff."

"He was probably trying to mess with you. Did you get anything from it?"

"Not until after he left. Then I realized he left me a file." She took a bite of food. "It's about whatever big thing he's planning, but I got next to no details on it. Just that I'm playing bodyguard."

"Probably because he doesn't know if he can trust you and you're expendable that way," he reasoned, coming to the same conclusion she had. "I'm sure Butler is more than enough protection, if he's like you described him." She had filled him in on everything she'd learned a while before, when she decided that she wouldn't try to protect Butler and Juliet anymore.

"Yeah…" She stared at her plate, thinking back to their encounter to try to recall anything else she might have forgotten to tell him, but Fowl's startling gaze was the only thing she could recall. "He has blue eyes," she blurted unthinkingly.

"Butler?" Chris asked, sounding surprised.

"No. Fowl." She shook her head, trying to clear it. Why was that all she could remember?

"Okay." He sounded slightly confused. "Well, I need to go. I have a report to finish before I can go home."

"Alright. Goodnight, Dad."

"Night." He hung up.

Holly ended the call on her side, staring blankly into the fire. He did have brilliant, startling blue eyes, that much she could tell, even in the dark. And from what she could make out of him in the dark - which was more than she had told, admittedly, although not much - the rest of him was just as startlingly attractive as his eyes.

She jolted slightly at the thought. She did not want to start thinking like that now. She really couldn't afford to get too invested in anybody here - least of all Fowl, the one she was here to bring down.

She thought back to the file he'd given her. He'd given her nothing of his plan, really - she had no idea of what he was intending to do, when, who it would involve, anything. And the only conclusion she could really draw was that it would be somewhere public, at least outside of here, because otherwise he'd have no need for a guard. If nothing else, she'd try to get a general location for the LEP - perhaps then they could be waiting there for them and stop him before he was able to carry that plan out.

Somehow, she doubted it. He didn't seem like the kind of person to make stupid mistakes, and as Juliet had told her - if she didn't need to know it, she wouldn't, so it was likely enough that she would never so much as hear what continent they'd be on until the day of, if then.

But even still, she had to try.

Sighing slightly, she finished her food and went back to bed. It was all there was left to do for now.


	13. Chapter 13

**I decided to post this now since this chapter is really short. If you're all wondering why I'm posting so much, I've had a tough week. Writing helps, and nice reviews help too. :)**

 **Also, as a sidenote, the rating on this could possibly go up. Does anyone want to see that or object to that? I can cut out the adult themes or leave them in, but it's up to you guys, so let me know.**

13.

In the following days, Holly spent a lot of time with everyone in the hotel trying to glean information from them without suspicion. Most of them were less than forthcoming - Juliet especially seemed to be acting slightly differently towards her, and so she'd backed off, afraid the girl was onto her. She couldn't see how she would be, but she felt better being safe than sorry.

In fact, they all seemed to be acting a little distant towards her now. She couldn't quite put her finger on how any of them had changed, and maybe part of it was her, but she didn't feel as comfortable with them anymore. It was odd, and she couldn't seem to find an explanation for it.

The explanation was, in fact, that Artemis had told them all the truth about her, and none of them were really sure how to react, although Holly didn't know that. They all knew why he didn't want to bust her yet, and they all had specific bits of information to pass on to her when the time was right - some false, some accurate. None of them really knew how to treat her now, though.

Butler decided that he didn't have to change anything, really - what damage was done was already done, and he'd never been overly friendly or forthcoming with information in the first place. Mulch had already half-knew, and was part of the reason Artemis did in the first place; besides, he didn't see her much anyway, except at dinner sometimes. He wasn't really surprised. He just started appraising her in a slightly different light after that.

Juliet was the most upset with the news. She really liked Holly, but realistically she knew there wasn't going to be a good ending for her after this. She knew she couldn't cut her off completely, as she still had a job to do with her and information to give her, but she became more stiff and less friendly and bubbly than normal around her now. It wasn't the same.

As a week or so went by, they all found happy middle ground to work with her and pass on their info, which made Holly's suspicions calm slightly. Occasionally she had moments that she felt like sent up a mental red flag in her head, but mostly she waved them off, because she was used to not agreeing with or liking much of what was said around her by now. They were criminals after all, and despite her posing, she didn't quite agree with all their beliefs.

And so they went on, all pretending to each other to not know or be something that they actually were. Slowly, not quick enough to make it seem purposely or too easy, they all passed on information to her.

Juliet was the first to "let slip" something she didn't know. One day, while they were training and talking, she told her that Fowl was after a few paintings to sell to some very special buyers, and that he intended to steal a few and place recreations in their places.

Then Mulch invited her into his quarters for lunch one day - something that was becoming an intermittent occurrence when he was back at the hotel - and casually mentioned in conversation that Fowl's big heist had nothing to do with Ireland, and would be across the channel somewhere in Europe.

Butler informed her one day that Fowl was all about the money - everything was about the money. He commented one day while they were practicing with the staffs that banks were easy money to get to, that they were common targets in the bigger heists and as side projects because they just didn't pose too much of a challenge to Fowl.

Holly filed all this information away and reported all of it back to her father and Root, unaware that she was doing exactly what Artemis wanted her to. Not all of it made sense to her - the conflicting statements about the bank and the art, for example. She couldn't quite figure out what it was all about. But that wasn't really her job, wasn't it? That was for her father and Root to spend time trying to figure out.

It continued like this for about a few weeks - them feeding her bits and pieces of info that she in turn gave to the LEP. They tried to piece it all together while she gleaned as much as she could and tried to survive, attempting to keep a cover she didn't know had already been blown.

She hadn't seen Fowl again throughout this time, but she hadn't really thought much about it lately, focused as she was on getting and reporting all this information. Occasionally, she flashed back to that evening he'd visited her - his startling blue eyed gaze - but she would push it away as soon as it entered her mind, unwilling to spend time dwelling on something she could never and she thought she would never want to have.

Unbeknownst to her, Artemis had watched everything play out in front of him exactly as he'd planned. He studied her as she played right into his hands. He was faced with yet another dilemma about her - this time, one not so simply solved. He had to decide what to do with her.

Once she had served her purpose, he had no need for her anymore. He knew he couldn't really let her go - she knew too much, whether she realized it or not. If she hadn't given everything she knew to the LEP already, she would once she got back. She'd probably be able to lead them right to his headquarters, even. Not that this was his only hideout, but it was one of his favorites. He'd hate to lose it too the LEP - there was way too much here to let it fall into their hands.

But despite all this and his better judgement, he didn't want to kill her. It just didn't seem right. And there was no point in torturing her - everything she knew was only what he wanted her to know, and between Mulch and his superior hacking skills, he had all the access to information about the LEP he could need.

And thus, he had another dilemma. It was stupid to not dispose of her now, he knew, but he just couldn't fathom it. So what to do with her?

Obviously, he had to keep her here, then, or put her in lockup somewhere. But for some reason, he found he didn't want to do that either. It was odd - he'd never had qualms disposing of his enemies before, so he couldn't fathom why he did now. Perhaps it was because he'd never been this close to any of his enemies before. He barely knew her personally, but he liked her fire, and he'd spent more time than he cared to admit observing her. It wasn't healthy, nor was it a good idea; it also kept him from completing as much work as he normally would have done, too. The last part displeased him some, but not enough to make him stop.

His elimination of everything else only left him with a handful of ideas. Despite himself, he thought he knew which one he was going to go with.

It was going to be a mess, but he could handle that. Or so he believed at that time.

Eventually, she'd been passed enough fake information that it was time to cut her off. If the LEP couldn't piece enough of it together in the months that followed, then that was their own problem.

It was time to do something.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so... Im enjoying this story so much that I'm just going to keep posting since I just keep writing. I just keep blowing through it, I'll just keep posting. :)**

 **That said, just curious, how is it I can get over fifty views per chapter in less than a few hours of posting and yet only have two constant reviewers? Give me something, people. Pretty please? 3**

 **Anyway, the scene in this chapter where they meet and most of next chapter were the original plot-bunny-inspo that lead to this story, so... yeah. I wrote them before anything else and so if you see any inconsistencies, I did try to edit it, but it may sound a little odd in spots because it was written with the original ideas in mind, and it's morphed a little since then. So yeah. Don't flame me too hard for it.**

 **Enjoy! 3**

14.

Holly thought she was doing a good job.

In recent weeks, she'd gotten lots of information from Fowl's cronies that she'd passed on to the LEP - bits and pieces of things, granted, but they ought to be able to get something out of it. It was more than she'd hoped to be able to get. She didn't think she'd be able to weasel anything out of them, but apparently she was wrong.

So she thought she was doing well. She'd even managed to give them a vague description of Fowl - it wasn't much to work with, but some clue of who they were looking for was better than nothing.

What she didn't know, of course, was that she'd already been found out. And that Butler was on his way to get her right now to bring her to Fowl.

She was sitting in her kitchen, looking through her fridge for a snack when he knocked on the door. She jumped slightly, not expecting anybody, then turned and called for him to come in.

Butler did, crossing his arms. He didn't even bother to close the door, knowing there was no point. Holly frowned slightly at him, closing the fridge. "What's wrong, Butler?"

"You need to come with me. Fowl wants to talk to you." His voice was carefully controlled, and he watched her closely like she could try to attack him at any second. Alarm bells went off in her head.

"Okay," she agreed slowly, unsure of what else to say. Her heart was pounding. What could this be about? Why was he acting so strange? "Let's go, then."

He nodded, leading her out of her room and heading towards the stairs on the other end of the hall. He lead her up several floors and down a few corridors she'd never seen before. Holly watched everything carefully, her senses on high alert. She didn't like this. It didn't feel right.

Finally they reached a corridor with a door in it that Butler swiped a keycard to open. He waited for the lock to click, then gestured for her to go in.

Holly put her hand on the knob and hesitated, knowing this must be Fowl's office. She took a breath, then turned the knob and went inside. The door shut automatically behind her.

The first thing that hit her was the decor. It was very sparse. The office was mostly floor space, with a desk, some bookshelves, and some filing cabinets along a the walls, and a fireplace with some armchairs on the one to her left. It seemed very cold and formal. There was no hint of anything implying a personality in here.

She looked at Fowl. She couldn't see the criminal's face - his back was to her - but she very clearly heard his voice when he spoke. He sounded more cold and controlled this time than when he'd visited her in her room. "I've been meaning to speak to you again for a while now, Miss Short. Take a seat."

Seeing nowhere else to go, Holly went over and took a seat in one of the chairs by the fireplace, settling herself in one rather uncomfortably. Fowl still hadn't looked at her, and it was making her uneasy, more so than she already was. So was the sudden silence in the room. "Speak to me about what?" Holly asked, more to dispel the quiet than anything.

He turned to face her, spinning around in his black leather swivel chair towards her. Although this room was dim too, it was much better lit than her quarters had been when he'd been there, allowing her to finally get a good look at his face. He was pale, more so than was normal, but he didn't look sickly, either. Dark, ebony hair hung in long, thick strands around his face, framing his familiar startling blue eyes. Currently, those cold and brilliant as crystal eyes were fixed on her face, studying her intently, while his left hand was stroking his black silk necktie almost absentmindedly. After a long, drawn out silence in which they sized each other up, he finally spoke, but not in answer to her question. "What do you think you're here about, Holly?"

Holly didn't answer for a minute. What could she say? The wrong thing would cost her her cover and maybe her life if he didn't already know. The suspicion that he did was creeping up her spine slowly, but she knew either way she had to tread carefully. "Why don't you just tell me?" she asked at last.

The corners of his mouth turned up again. "I believe I asked you first."

Holly pressed her lips together. "Do you ever give straight answers to anything?"

"I don't see the point when we both know you know exactly why." He met her eyes, bright blue and serious. "You're in trouble and you know it."

"In trouble?" Holly echoed. That was not what she expected to hear. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, believe me, Short, you did several things wrong." The criminal stood up then, rising gracefully to his feet and striding over to her. He settled himself in the other armchair across from her, crossing his legs and draping one arm over the left armrest. The other fidgeted with his tie again, straightening it compulsively. "So let's drop the charade now, shall we? We both know you're here because I know exactly who you are." He sat back. "I tried to warn you, but you were too confident in your own abilities to take my advice." He shrugged. "And now here we are."

Holly stared at him, thrown off by his sudden movement and his choice of words. He acted like he knew, but he sounded like he was trying to coax it out of her. "What did you want me to do, Fowl? I know you're intelligent. I never believed you weren't."

"Just not intelligent enough to put two and two together?" He snorted slightly. "Julius is a cunning rival, and I'll give to him that a cadet and a female were not what I expected as a third attempt from him. But it's still not enough." He sat up, and her heart stuttered slightly. "Tell me, Holly, how did you get roped into this? I assume your connection to his officer and your lack of background as a cadet made you a prime target, but why would you agree?"

Holly shrank back in the chair, trying to put some distance between them. She couldn't help feeling a little shocked. She'd suspected he knew something was wrong with her, but not to that extent. If he knew what she was, who she was working for, why wasn't she dead, or being interrogated for information? Was he planning to? Was that what this was about? "I..." she stopped, unsure what to say and unwilling to make herself look like more of a fool. "How did you know?" she blurted.

Fowl chuckled dryly, steepling his fingers in front of his face to hide his smile. "Please, Holly. You say you don't doubt my intelligence, yet you give me no credit." He shook his head. "I knew something wasn't right from the day Mulch came to me about you. People like you and I, we do everything for a reason. And people like you don't just turn to people like me without one." He shrugged. "You had it all lined up perfectly. You had no reason to throw it all away. So why would you?" He paused, looking her over. "Simply, you wouldn't. And therein lies the flaw."

Holly frowned slightly, looking down at the fire. She wasn't really sure what to say to that. He was right; it didn't really make sense. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, she thought to herself.

"Well," she said at last, too aware of the quiet and the fact he was watching her intently, "You haven't won anything by catching me now. I've already told them everything I learned."

He chuckled darkly, making her head snap up. She didn't like that sound. It made her stomach turn. "You don't think I know that?" At her confused look, he elaborated. "Holly, I've known since you arrived exactly who you are and why you were here. Certainly, you would unavoidably collect some information that I didn't want the authorities to have to give to them - but almost everything anyone has told you was fake." He shrugged nonchalantly, leaning back. "It was all monitored and passed on as I wanted it to be. Now, your friends and coworkers know just enough, and they'll walk right into the trap I've laid for them as easily as a snap." He snapped his fingers to demonstrate.

Ridiculously, Holly flinched. Worry washed over her, but she didn't dare succumb enough to ask him to tell her anything about what he was planning. She couldn't make herself show that much weakness - it would probably only make the inevitable pain worse, after all, and why do that to herself when she knew he wasn't going to tell her anything anyway?

Instead, she forced her train of thought backwards, realizing the one thing really relevant to her that he hadn't said.

"What about me?" Holly asked, forcing herself to raise her eyes to his as she spoke. "You've gotten everything you wanted from me, obviously, or you wouldn't be telling me this now, so what next? Are you going to torture me for information from inside the LEP, about their plans and their knowledge, or whatever it is you want to know? Or are you just going to have me killed instead?"

"Neither," replied Fowl easily. She blinked, looking surprised, and he rolled his eyes in response. "Please. I know I'm supposedly some ruthless criminal, but honestly - why would I torture you for information that I already have? At any rate, there are much better ways to get information than just torture… ways that wouldn't permanently damage my useful new playtoy."

The last part he added on at the end with a small smirk. This time it was her who rolled their eyes. "I'm hardly a plaything for you, Fowl. I'm probably not even half your age."

Fowl raised an eyebrow at her, looking almost offended. "Excuse me? Just how old do you think I am, Short?"

Holly blinked, then shrugged, pausing for a second to study him before answering. His skin was smooth in most places, with no sign of any wrinkles or lines except for the creases between his brows that naturally came with a lot of thinking and stressful situations. He was tall, thin, and well kempt, with no sign of balding that she could see - although after a second of close scrutiny, she could swear she spotted a few grey hairs mixed in the black. But even that also came as a sign of stress and overthinking.

Judging by his general form, he seemed to be young, but obviously not too young. Older than teens, probably, maybe even high twenties… but most likely not that much older.

I'm really, really bad at this, Holly thought suddenly. She shook her head at her own nativity, and, deciding she had no real idea of set age, just that he had seniority over her, settled on the easy response. "Er… Older than me?"

He laughed - actually laughed - in response. She scowled at him. "What?" she demanded, hoping she hadn't embarrassed herself by being really far off.

"Nothing at all. I'm just surprised. Obviously you think I'm much older than I am - but then, I suppose I have accomplished a lot for my age." Shaking his head again, he let out another soft chuckle before sobering and returning almost entirely to his normal cool, collected persona - although he couldn't keep the smirk from toying with the edges of his lips again. "Alright, Holly, I relent. I'll drop it. We were talking about your part in my plan, yes?"

"I believe we were talking about what would happen to me while your evil plan was taking place," Holly snapped, feeling disgruntled and, inexplicably, rather dejected. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them, trying to bring herself some comfort and heat. Despite the fact they were sitting by his fireplace, she could still feel a chill seeping through her sweatshirt, raising goosebumps on her arms.

Fowl frowned slightly. "A few things," he told her, raising his hand and proceeding to tick them off on his fingers. "One - just because I'm a criminal doesn't mean every plan I come up with is necessarily what you call 'evil'. Two - if you're cold, I can give you something to raise your body temperature. And three…." He stopped and heaved a heavy sigh. "As stupid as everyone will probably think I am for doing so, I am going to allow you to live. When this is over, I may even let you go, although that is not very likely because the plausibility of you reacting positively after everything goes down is not something to be optimistic about, and I can't have you running off to the police and telling them everything you'll find out between them and now, now can I?"

Wordlessly, Holly shook her head.

"Exactly. So I, as an executive decision, am going to keep you right here with me, under lock and key, until my scheme is through and there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it." He levelled her with a serious look. A warning was etched very clearly into his blue eyes: Don't mess with me, because I can hurt you very, very badly, and I won't hesitate to if you try to force my hand.

Holly gulped, but stared back resolutely. She had no doubt that he was telling the truth. Could he be bluffing her? Well… maybe it was possible, but highly unlikely in this situation. It was a chance she did not want to take.

By all means and rights, she knew she should take the chance. She should fight with every fiber of her being to resist his power, and do her damnedest to escape, starting as soon as she got her first seemingly - seemingly being the appropriate word, because she would probably never get one that was anymore than just an appearance of - good chance. But even so… looking into his dark, serious eyes, she knew she would never be able to do it. She would sit here and wait it out just like he wanted her to. She didn't have another choice.

Besides, trying to escape would just be futile anyway, right? With all of his real cronies out and about in the lower levels, she'd never make it as far as the stairs. If she could even find her way back to them.

Fowl's voice zapped her rudely back to reality. "Do we understand each other, Holly?"

Searching her brain for any kind of witty comeback or smart retort and coming up empty, Holly frowned and settled on simply saying one word: "Yes."

"Good." The criminal stood up. "Now, I have business to attend to, so I'm afraid you'll have to leave. We'll talk more tonight." He extended a hand towards her, and Holly flinched slightly, but then immediately felt ridiculous when she caught his amused look and realized he was only trying to help her up.

"Tonight?" she asked, taking the proffered hand. He had a surprisingly firm, warm grip for someone who was pale enough to be a walking corpse. "What's tonight?"

"Nothing, of course. But it is my quarters you'll be staying in from now on, so unless you're planning to avoid me - which wouldn't work even if you tried - I will see you then." He grinned as she blanched, digesting his words and immediately opening her mouth to protest, only to find him speaking over her. "Butler!" he called loudly over her protests. In seconds, the manservant appeared at the door. Fowl pulled his hand from hers and moved it to rest firmly between her shoulder blades, guiding her towards the door. "Take her upstairs."

Butler took her arm as soon as they were close enough for him to reach. He held on tightly, probably expecting her to struggle, but she didn't. She sighed heavily and looked back over at Artemis once, then turned with Butler and started to walk away.

"Oh, and Holly?"

Butler stopped, pulling Holly forcefully to a stop with him. She turned slightly to look over at him. "Yes?"

His grin surprised her. It was wide and openly playful, but his eyes still told her he was completely serious. "Just so you know… I'm only twenty one."

With that, he turned around and walked back to his desk. She didn't get time to think of any reply to that, because as soon as the criminal turned away, he started walking again, pulling her with him towards the stairs.


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's a little Thanksgiving present for you all. :)**

15.

Holly let Butler lead her away silently, her mind spinning with revelations and worry. What had she done? What was he planning? What if her dad got hurt?

But then, was this really her fault? Technically it was more Root's, she supposed, at least to start with, but now it was mostly hers. They had trusted her to be a field agent after all, and she had failed miserably.

Lost in thought, she didn't even notice that they'd entered an elevator until the doors opened again and Butler was pushing her through a door across the hall.

Holly stumbled inside, startled, and Butler closed the door behind her. She whirled around, staring at it, listening for the click of a lock. She hesitated for a few minutes, then tentatively tried the door only to find it - much to her surprise - unlocked. However, when she cracked the door open and peeked out into the hall, she saw Butler pacing vigilantly at the end of the hall, blocking the stairs and the elevator entrance. Surprise surprise. He wouldn't have left it unlocked if there was any hope of escape there.

Sighing, she closed the door again and turned around. Her eyes widened.

She had known Fowl was a very successful criminal, but what she hadn't known, apparently, was just how successful. She could tell just from a quick glance this easily was the best suite in the hotel - the penthouse suite. She wandered through the room towards the window, wondering if the view outside was near as nice as the inside.

The inside was beautiful. The outside door lead into a wide open, currently darkened living space. The far wall across from her appeared to be made entirely of glass with a spectacular view of the forestry and the surrounding small town outside. It also appeared to be the room's main light source, at least at the moment, which explained why it was so dim, since the sun was already beginning to dip lower into the sky. There was a chandelier hanging down from the ceiling in the center of the room, suspended above a large redwood dining table that looked pretty and pristine as though it had never seen a day of use, and though it could be used for lighting purposes it obviously never had been.

Up against it on the far left, much to her pleasant surprise, sat a grand piano. She walked over to it and idly ran her fingers over the smooth wood top. It was beautiful, classic, and probably expensive as hell.

She glanced over to what was now her right. There were small sections of wall extending from both sides separating that area from the one she was standing in now, but she could see slightly around the corner from where she stood - enough to catch sight of deep amber walls, mahogany flooring, and the large fireplace set into the one diagonal from where she was.

She looked the other way. There was a similar setup with the walls there, too, but she was far enough away and at just the right angle to be able to see in and catch sight of at least half of the set up. However, there didn't appear to be much over there. Just as on the opposite end, the walls were amber and the floor made of mahogany, but the space itself was smaller and contained very little. She could see two doors set against the wall straight across from her, and she glimpsed the side of what appeared to be a shelf of some kind to the right of it, on the same wall as the door she had came in through. On the other side of the doors, she caught a glimpse of a curved railing and a set of long stairs.

She stared at it for a long minute, wondering where it went and if it was a good idea for her to go up it. She assumed it was allowed - after all, no one had said that she wasn't allowed to explore the complex; Artemis had only said that she had to stay in it. Now, that didn't necessarily mean it was a good idea... But nonetheless, eventually her curiosity won out over her wariness and she found herself heading towards the staircase.

Slowly, Holly ascended the staircase. It wound around and up at a slightly steep angle, but it was actually shorter than it had appeared to be from where she had first seen it. It led to the second floor of the penthouse.

Unlike downstairs, this section didn't open up with a room; instead, it was one long hallway with several doors off of it; three doors on the left, three on the right.

Again her curiosity won out and Holly started down the hallway, zigzagging down between the doors and pulling them open to see what was inside. They went in this order: on the right, starting from the end closest to the stairs was the Master study, the Master bathroom, and the Master Bedchambers. On the left, there was a smaller study and another large bathroom and bedroom.

Going that way that she was, Holly reached the Master Bedchamber last. She pulled open the door and stepped inside, and immediately inhaled a sharp breath.

By this point, she knew she probably shouldn't be surprised by the extravagance surrounding her anymore, but she still couldn't help herself.

The room itself was huge and crimson - except for the floor, of course, which was black. On the wall to her left, there was a door leading into the adjoining Master bathroom. Down the wall from her, on the same side as the door she came through, most of the side of the wall to the left of her was dominated with a double-door walk-in closet. The wall space on the right side had the headboard of a king sized bed shoved against it. There was roughly about three feet between wall and the headboard of the bed, leaving just enough space for the little oak bedside table that was pushed between it and the wall to comfortably fit next to the side of the bed.

Across the room from the bed, a large percentage of the wall had been taken out to make room for the window that dominated that side of the room and acted as a natural light source for that half of the room. It's light spread across the stained glass coffee table in front of it, reflecting little patches of bright color around the room and across the ceiling. Spaced evenly on either side of the coffee table and turned slightly to be facing towards the window sat two charcoal leather loveseats. Their cushions, she noticed as she ventured in deeper and caught sight of both color schemes, had the same pattern of gold swirls in the grey that the bedspread did.

Slowly, she moved over towards the bed and touched the top of the bedspread, almost afraid to disturb it and leave evidence of her snooping. But she was curious to see if it felt as soft as it looked. Thumbing the corner of the quilt, she decided that it did. It was soft, silky, obviously expensive as everything else around her…. She suddenly wondered if the bed itself was the same. She imagined it would be, but in the same sense, she wasn't eager to lay on it to find out, either - especially since she didn't know when Fowl would be back, and if he walked in and found her in his bed… Well, that couldn't turn out well at all.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, her face turned as red as her hair and she quickly moved away. Suddenly, she felt much safer by the window than the bed.

She moved up by it and found that, unsurprisingly, the view was fantastic up here as it was downstairs. She could actually see a little further out here than she could downstairs, clear over the trees and over the expanse of the forest to the horizon. Now, the sun had really began to set, and as it dipped beyond the horizon it shot brilliant reflections of colors across the sky: beautiful hues of red, blue, orange, yellow, and even a few streaks of grey.

For about minute, she was able to lose herself in the intricate colors and the beauty of the sight, completely forgetting her situation, where she was, and generally everything that was wrong right now. Then she heard the voice from behind her.

"Beautiful at this time, isn't it?"

Holly jumped and tensed, ready to scream, but froze when she felt the firm grip of the criminal's hands on her shoulders. He chuckled at her reaction, and she felt him move closer, his chin pressing into the crown of her head. "Beautiful…" he murmured thoughtfully, his hands tightening on her shoulders. "Although still not as beautiful as you."

Holly froze and blinked, pulling away and looking at him in surprise. A compliment? From the infamous criminal who was likely planning to kill her? Well… this day was just full of surprises.

"Do you say that to every girl you intend to kill?" Holly asked. The sarcasm in the comment was tempered a little bit by the seriousness of the question. "Try to soften them up first?"

Fowl raised an eyebrow at her, not attempting to reach for her again. "What makes you think you're not the only one?"

"Why should I?"

He shrugged. "Because you are. But I suppose I didn't tell anybody to tell you that much." He smirked at her.

Holly flinched at the obvious dig and flushed red, her eyes narrowing. "Screw off, Fowl. Why don't you just kill me now and be done with it? Or do you get some sick joy out of torturing me?"

Fowl frowned slightly. "First of all, I'm not going to kill you, or torture you. Period. At all. And second, we're going to be spending way too much time together for you to keep calling me that." He paused. "It's Artemis."

"Oh, you tell me your name and that's supposed to make it all better, is it?" Holly snapped, struggling to keep her voice from shaking. She stopped, taking a breath. "Never mind." She started to leave.

Fowl - or Artemis, whatever his name was - reached for her, grabbing her arm and spinning her back towards him. He pulled her close to him. "What was the point in waiting for me in my room if you didn't want to see me?" he asked, sounding more curious than anything.

Holly rolled her eyes. "I wasn't waiting for you. I was exploring. I think I deserve to do that much if you're going to keep me prisoner up here."

"I think it's rather hypocritical to get mad at me for taking you prisoner when you were trying to put me in jail." He quirked an eyebrow at her. "And I do believe for a prison, this is a rather nice one."

She scowled at him and pulled away. "I'm not a criminal. Apparently, trying to keep you all from hurting innocent people makes me the bad one around here."

"I never said you were anything of the sort, although that's the second time you've insinuated that you think I'm a homicidal maniac," Artemis told her. He walked over to the window, looking out at the view again. "I don't believe I've done anything to deserve that."

"Yet," Holly muttered, looking away. She sounded like a petulant child, she knew, and to be honest, thinking about it, she couldn't recall ever being told what he did, just that he was dangerous. The realization disturbed her more than she cared to admit.

Artemis looked at her again, seeming thoughtful. After a moment, he sighed, approaching her where she stood by the door, looking slightly lost. She looked up as he approached, wary-looking, and he bit back another sigh at the sight. "Take off your sweatshirt," he told her, figuring he may as well get searching her over with so he didn't have to babysit her the whole night.

She blinked, startled. "What?"

"Butler didn't search you. Which means I have to." He crossed his arms. "Don't make it more difficult than it needs to be."

"Fine. I won't." She pulled her phone out of her sweater pocket. "This is what you want, so just take it."

Artemis did, unlocking it and scrolling through it briefly. After a minute, he shrugged and pocketed it. "Alright then. But I wouldn't be so sure that's all I want." He smirked at her, then turned on his heel, away from her. "Go explore some more, if you'd like. Just don't bother trying to escape. It would make things rather messy." He walked into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Holly stared after him and sighed, then left the bedroom and went across the hall to the spare, figuring that was where she was supposed to sleep. She was surprised when she entered to find that all of her stuff had been brought up from her other quarters, all put away nice and neatly. It must have been brought up when she was in the meeting with him earlier.

Suddenly it occurred to her that this meant everyone must have known, not just him. She knew they'd been acting slightly odd, but she couldn't figure out why - well, now she knew.

Sighing slightly, she decided to follow his example and get a shower, then turn to bed for the night. She honestly just wanted to have as little contact with him as possible, and to just try to salvage something besides misery out of whatever time she had left.

She got a shower and pulled on a pair of fuzzy pjs, seeking comfort in the warmth. Looking in the mirror, she combed her fingers through her hair and sighed. There wasn't really much point in bothering. She went out and flopped down in the bed.

She laid there for a while, staring at the ceiling contemplatively, until there was a knock at her door. Artemis opened it without waiting for an answer, leaning against the inside of the frame. "Are you just going to mope around in here?"

"I'm not moping. I'm trying to avoid you." Holly rolled over, staring resolutely at the opposite wall.

"You're completely moping. Don't you think you should at least come down and eat something?"

"Well, as sweet as it is of you to not starve me, no, I don't," she answered bluntly. "I'm not hungry and I don't want anything from you."

Artemis didn't answer for a moment, but she could feel the pressure of his gaze on her and knew he was still there, thinking. Finally he sighed and said, "Fine. Don't eat. I won't force you tonight, but if you think you're going to get away with it for long, you're wrong." He paused. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight, Holly." He closed the door.

She scowled at the wall, knowing she was being a petulant child but unable to help herself. She was moping, true, but she felt like she deserved to mope for a while.

Eventually, boredom and exhaustion took over and she fell asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

She got up the next morning bleary eyed and with her mouth tasting like it was full of cotton. Forgetting what had happened yesterday and momentarily not thinking, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and stumbled out to the kitchen.

She pushed opened the door and stopped at the sight of Artemis already in there, standing at the stove in gray lounge pants and a white shirt, holding a spatula by the stove. She blinked a few times, confused for a moment, then sighed as the memories came flooding back.

Artemis looked at her and raised an eyebrow, obviously amused. "Good morning."

"What's good about it?" she murmured around a yawn, pushing past him to get to the fridge.

He shrugged, turning back to the stove and deciding to be a little cruel. "You're still alive, aren't you?"

"Mm...for a minute. But dead is probably preferable to being locked up here with you," she muttered, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"It's a shame you feel that way, because I'm not going anywhere," Artemis told her, stepping between her and the exit. Holly blinked at him again, her eyes narrowing with irritation.

"What are you talking about? Why are you even still here? Shouldn't you be locked up in your office, working on your evil scheme?" She tried to step around him, but failed miserably as he stepsided her again and forced her backwards into a seat directly behind her.

Artemis smirked at her disgruntled look. "My 'evil scheme', as you call it, is past the planning stage now. It's all worked out. We're in the waiting stage now."

"Waiting?" Holly frowned. "What are you waiting on?"

"A multitude of things. The right time of year, for one." He shrugged, turning away from her just long enough to make up a plate and lay it on the table in front of her. "But I wouldn't worry your pretty little head about it. All you have to do is stay here and wait."

She scowled at the plate. He'd made pancakes - which severely irritated her because she loved pancakes, meaning she had no reason not to eat. "Time of year? How long exactly is this 'waiting stage'?"

He shrugged, sitting beside her with his own plate. She felt the urge to jump over a seat to put some distance between them, but resisted, mostly because she knew he'd done it just to get under her skin, and she was quickly getting irritated with his constant attempts to do so. "A while. It will depend on a few things, but likely a month at least," he told her, quirking a shoulder and starting to cut up his own food.

"A month? Are you kidding me?" She jumped to her feet, shaking her head wildly. "If you think I'm just going to sit here like a prisoner in solitary confinement for a month while you plot how best to kill me and my family and gods only know who else, you're crazy, Fowl." Her voice shook slightly.

Artemis sighed, putting his fork down. "What is your obsession with me killing people? Have I hurt you yet?"

"That has nothing to do with this!" Holly snapped, stepping back slightly when he stood up and took a step towards her.

"It has everything to do with this, Holly. I don't know who gave you that idea, but I've never killed anybody, and I don't intend to. I make people disappear, if necessary, granted, and I've hired assassins before, if necessary. But I am not a killer." He paused, stopping a few feet away from her, his eyes searching her face. She stood very still and tensed, pale faced, staring at him as if unsure what he was saying. "And despite what you might want to believe, keeping you here against your will doesn't make me happy. But I have certain things I need to make happen, one way or another, and as far as I'm concerned, the end justifies the means.

"So." He shrugged, looking down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "One way or another, you will stay out of my way. As far as I'm concerned, you have a few options. Stay here, behave, and eventually get to go home. Or you can try to run away. You'll either die in the woods, because on foot it's weeks away from the nearest civilization that's not under my thumb and you'd never make it that far, or you could possibly make it to one of the closest towns that is controlled by me and end up right back here in a not-so-pretty cell." His voice was hard and carefully controlled. He didn't sound angry, just cold and factual.

Holly stared at him still, silently, her head spinning. His words made her feel cold and numb inside. She didn't have a real choice, did she? Not if she wanted to make it home alive. It was obvious he wasn't lying. This whole thing was important to him - important enough to make him do this to her. She couldn't help wondering why, but somehow she doubted he'd tell her.

After it became apparent that she wasn't going to say anything, Artemis spoke again. He settled back into his seat, not looking at her. "Sit down and eat, Holly."

Holly complied silently. She didn't feel able to form words just yet. Her head was still spinning too much. She picked up her fork and started eating silently.

Artemis followed suit, letting her eat in silence. Guilt threatened to rise in his chest, but he pushed it down. The facts were the facts, and nothing was going to stop him from doing what needed to be done to find his father.

But the silence was tense, and he couldn't stand it for long. He sighed, getting up and putting his plate in the sink. "You never did tell me why you agreed to do this, you know."

For a moment, he didn't think she'd answer. Then she sighed and answered quietly, "Does it matter?"

"To me it does. I'd like to know." He turned to her again, leaning against the counter and looking at her. "I put great effort into researching you, and I'd like to fill in the missing gaps."

"Researching me?" she echoed. "What am I, a new toy you thought about buying?"

"One I'm still thinking about buying, more like." He smirked at her back, watching her tense at the comment. She got up suddenly, thrusting her plate at his chest and spinning around.

"Forget it. I don't have to take this." She walked out of the room.

Artemis put her plate in the sink and followed her. "I don't believe I've done anything."

"You've done an awful lot to call it nothing." She sat in one of the arms chairs by the fire, curling up in a ball. He sat in the one opposite her. She ignored him.

"I have really done anything to you, actually. I've made you stay here, but you were just fine with being here when it was of your own accord." He tilted his head, studying her. She acted like she hadn't heard him. "Come on, Holly. Surely you don't want to miserable. Talk to me."

"For what? I don't see the point." She shrugged. "Either you'll kill me or you'll let me go, whether because you're locked up or because you can, and then it won't matter what we've said to each other anyway. Anyway it goes we won't see each other again."

"Then there's not much reason to resist, is there?" When she didn't respond, he sighed, looking down at the fire. "Come now. I'll tell you my secrets if you tell me yours."

Holly looked over at him, looking him over as if considering. Then she shrugged. "I have no reason to believe anything you say."

"I haven't lied to you yet," he pointed out. "And I don't see the point in volunteering information just to lie about it. Sounds like it defeats the purpose."

Holly looked away again, back down at the fire, her gaze far off. Just when he started to think she would just ignore him again, she started talking.

"I agreed because I was desperate to prove myself." She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. "Most of what I told them wasn't lies. I really did want information, and I was tired of being treated like a child. So when Root tried to convince me to take a way in…" She shrugged, opening her eyes but determinedly staring only into the fire. "I acted like I had to consider it, but I knew I wanted to. I knew it was reckless, but I just wanted to be helpful, and prove I wasn't useless." She stopped, her eyes flicking up to him for a moment and then back down. "I guess I was wrong."

Artemis nodded silently, not saying anything for a moment. "Well, I don't think you're useless. You're just...undertrained. Which is entirely Julius's fault, not yours." He paused, looking her over. "I never wanted to be a criminal, you know."

She looked at him, biting her lip. "What?"

He shrugged. "It's true. I never wanted to, and I still don't. But I need the money." He met her gaze. "So I don't have a choice."

"Why?" she asked, her eyes slightly wide.

Artemis sighed, getting up and wandering over to one of the bookshelves along the walls. He ran his fingers over the spines. "What the LEP doesn't know, Holly, is that I'm not the criminal they originally set out to look for. That would be my father." He paused, trailing his finger over one before pulling the book out. "The lull they speak of where our company was inactive is when he went missing. I used all of the funds I had to search for him unsuccessfully. Eventually, the only choice I had left was to make money illegally, and he'd left all this behind…" He shrugged, flipping through the book briefly before snapping it shut. "So I picked it up."

"Oh." Holly stared at him. She wasn't really sure what to say to that, but she suddenly started to see him in a different light. "So...you need the money to continue searching for him?"

"Yes." He replaced the book and turned back to her. "We were a good family until he disappeared. My mother and father, my little brothers and I." He sighed. "But he disappeared, my mother fell into depression that turned to illness… and it all simply went downhill. My little brothers are hidden away somewhere where they can live and have as normal childhoods as possible in relative safety, my mother is being constantly cared for by a home nurse, my father is god knows where, and I'm here. Trying to put it all back together." He stopped, meeting her eyes and smiling wryly. "And that all starts with the money."

"I don't understand what that has to do with this big plan of yours, though," Holly said. "And why it would involve my father's police force, of any other."

Artemis frowned slightly. "Holly. You really have no idea what the LEP is, do you?"

She looked at him, confused. "It's...our local police force."

"It's a subdivision of the government's intelligence agency," he told her softly. "Julius is the head of the department. Your father is an officer."

Holly stared at him. It made sense, in a bad way. All the late nights for no apparent reasons, the emergencies when nothing happened around Haven, his adamant desire to keep his work and his home life separate. He always said it was to keep them out of danger; now that made sense.

She flashed back to the day she met Mulch, when he mentioned the government and she'd said her father had nothing to do with the government. He'd told her that he knew a lot more than she did, apparently, and she had no idea what that meant at the time, figuring it was just more jargon by the cops about Fowl. Oh, how innocent she had been then.

"Oh," she muttered, looking down. It was all she could think to say. It seemed like everything she'd thought she'd known had been a lie.

Artemis shook his head. "Well, at any rate, the point of the plan is to get money. That's how it relates." He sat back down across from her. "You really had no idea, did you?"

She shook her head mutely.

"Well, now you do. I'm sure you'll have some questions for him when you get back, then. Better start making a list." He smiled at her again, trying to lighten her mood slightly. She couldn't bring herself to smile back.

Artemis seemed to sense this. "This morning has been a bit emotionally exhausting for both of us. Why don't you go rest for a while?"

Holly nodded and got up. She looked at him for a moment, torn by some masochistic part of herself that didn't quite want to leave him right now. But she knew better than to ask him to come with her, and so she went up to her room alone to chew over everything she'd learned.

Artemis waited until she left, then went up to his own room. There wasn't much else to do now but wait.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay! So, because I know people have a tendency not to check ratings on stories they've been following, Im gonna point out the rating is up for smut now. It's not** ** _incredibly_** **detailed, but it's there. So fair warning. I decided to keep it because I feel like it's part of their growing process. It's not until the end of this chapter though.**

 **Anyway! I'm still on a roll with this story so I'm just gonna keep posting. Enjoy!**

16.

Holly stayed in her room for a while after that. Her head was still spinning with all the revelations of the morning. She tried to sleep, and when that failed, she gave up and took a long bath, letting herself relax in the hot water long enough to turn pruny. It didn't really do much for her, except forced her body to relax long enough to let her think.

After a few hours, though, she just couldn't sit with her thoughts anymore. She got dressed and went back downstairs.

Artemis sat in the armchair like he'd never left, reading from a book in his lap. He glanced up as she entered. "Feel better?"

She showed him her pruny hands, shrugging. "Some."

The criminal smiled wryly. "Was turning yourself wrinkly helpful?"

She shrugged again, sitting across from him. "Some," she repeated.

"Are you just giving me one word answers now?"

Holly curled up in the chair, looking down at the fire. "I'm...just at a loss for what to say anymore, honestly. I'm not really sure what to do or believe."

He raised an eyebrow. "Meaning…?"

She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "Meaning I don't know where I am anymore, nor where I should be." She opened her eyes and glanced at him, fleetingly, then back down. "I can't decide if you're the good guy or the bad guy. It was easier when I thought I knew for sure."

Artemis pressed his lips together, then sighed and closed his book. "Holly...I don't even know what to tell you to that." He stopped for a moment. "I suppose, especially from your perspective, I should be the bad guy. I know that, morally, what I'm doing is wrong, both to you and in general. But there are certain things that matter more in life than following the rules and being purely good. I choose them over that." He shrugged. "I told you before that keeping you here, making you unhappy… it gives me no joy. But if making you unhappy for a little bit and tricking the police keeps me alive and helps me get my father back…"

"I'm not asking for an apology, Artemis," she said quietly. "I'm just… lost. Trying to figure out what to believe." She sighed slightly. "I don't believe you're a bad guy, but I don't believe my dad is either. I guess I'm just wildly misinformed."

"I wouldn't say wildly. And your father is not a bad man. He's gruff and kind and honorable, and he thinks well on his feet. He's just very black and white about the world, and the truth is that the world is actually very grey." Artemis got up, putting his book back on the shelf. "You're learning that now, and believe it or not, that will help you later."

"You think?"

"I know." He looked at her. "The fact that you can see me as something besides a monster, that you're willing to accept the grey bits and not ignore them, will make you a better cop and a better person in the long run."

"A weaker one, more like," she murmured, looking down.

"Emotion is not a weakness, Holly. It's a strength. The problem with it is simply that it makes us predictable, and therefore easier to trick." He paused. "So you simply have to learn to not do the first thing that comes to your mind, and dig a little deeper for solutions. There is when it becomes a strength."

Holly looked up and found he was staring at her. She met his eyes for a moment, staring back at him. His eyes seemed to be a deeper shade of blue today, perhaps because of the lighting. They were dark and serious, glittering with some distant emotion he was feeling. She found herself lost in them for a moment before shaking her head and forcefully breaking eye contact. His gaze was intense, making feelings rise in her chest she didn't necessarily like. She pushed them down and looked away. "Why are you telling me all this?" she whispered.

"What?" She could still feel his stare weighing her down.

"Everything. What you told me this morning, now…. why any of this, come to think of it." She didn't look at him again as she said it, afraid to get lost in his stare again. "Why treat me this way? I tried to hurt you. You caught me; I'm your prisoner. Why not act like it?"

"Why should I? We're all just doing what we have to to survive here. There's no need to make it miserable." He came around the chair again, stopping in front of her but not sitting. "What you saw of me before, and will again later - it's strictly business. But this now is personal. What goes on in the here and now in our little waiting period has nothing to do with what will happen when it's over. And no one has to know but us what's said here." He shrugged.

Holly wet her lips, looking down. It was hard not to look at him when he'd moved so close. "What if I tell them everything you've told me?" she asked.

Artemis leaned down, putting his hands on the armrests on either side of her, effectively trapping her in. Her breath stopped as he leaned closer, until they were almost nose to nose. "Do you want to do that?"

She jumped slightly as his nose brushed hers, but kept looking down. "I should."

"That's not what I asked." When she didn't respond immediately, he tilted her chin up with one finger. Unwittingly, she raised her eyes to his again and cursed herself slightly.

"I…" she stopped, staring into his crystalline eyes. "I don't know."

"Hmm…" He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, still touching her chin. Then he suddenly straightened and pulled away with a sigh. "Well, let me know when you figure it out. Then I'll give you an answer."

Holly nodded, releasing her breath when he moved back. "Just give me a while to decide," she said finally, quietly, looking down at the fire again, and they both knew she meant about more than just that question.

Artemis nodded, settling back in the armchair and following her gaze again. They sat in comfortable silence after that for a long time, until the fire had long since burned out and both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Days past this way. After their confrontation the first morning, Holly seemed to have resigned herself to her fate and made the decision to make the best of it. She didn't argue with him over stupid things anymore, realizing the only person she was really hurting was herself, but actually listened and tried to learn from him. If anything, she found herself starting to enjoy his company.

Artemis was actually turning out to be one of the few people she'd ever met that didn't discount her intelligence or capabilities because she was a woman. Instead he'd spent hours indulging her on a variety of subjects - the man was a genius, after all, which was only one of many facts the LEP didn't know that she now did - and teaching her things she'd never dreamed she'd have any need or desire to know. Despite his higher educated level and status, he didn't talk down to her like she was stupid, either.

And just because he was intelligent didn't mean he was lacking in the physical area, either. There was also a gym in his quarters that she hadn't discovered her first day. It wasn't as big or well equipped as the one downstairs, but it served its purpose, and it certainly explained why no one ever saw him down there. The criminal wasn't ripped by any means - he certainly was no mass of muscle like Butler - but he was well defined and far from weak. They'd sparred a few times, and they were pretty evenly matched on both strength and skill.

Holly knew she was probably growing to like him a bit too much. It wasn't a good idea to get attached at all, least of all romantically. But she couldn't deny the connection she felt between them. Several times she'd caught him staring thoughtfully at her, and she'd caught herself staring at him as well. She couldn't pretend not to notice the several almost-moments they'd had. The first night by the fire was just one of many moments they'd been way closer than both of them knew they should be.

The trouble was, neither of them cared. Holly tried to, but ended up ensnared several times anyway. She knew this was growing to be a hopeless cause. She should do something, but there wasn't much she could do. She really didn't want to lose her only company.

Artemis also felt it, and he knew it was a bad idea, but that didn't keep him from entertaining it. Several times he'd pulled himself back from her already, and he didn't know how much longer he could restrain himself. The same part of him that said it was a bad idea because of the circumstances also had the thought that they would be ideal to have a short, no-strings-attached fling. But the trouble was he was already attached, and despite knowing giving in would only make it harder to let go, he couldn't help thinking that he didn't care.

Logic and emotion fought within both of them for a while. But one night, emotion finally won out.

For the first time in the week or so she'd been locked up there with him - although it felt like so much longer when she'd spent almost every minute of every day with him - he left her alone. It was odd - she'd simply woken up one morning and he just wasn't there. Something almost had to have happened, but what?

Her heart quickened slightly at the thought. Almost anything could have happened around here that affected her in one way or another. Something with the plan? Were things coming together early? Had the LEP done something? Was everyone here okay? What if her father was tangled up in it?

She forced herself to stop and sit down, taking several breaths. Surely if it were anything drastic to do with her he would have told her, not just up and left. He couldn't intend to be gone for long, or he'd never have left her by herself.

She went to the kitchen and started making breakfast, just looking for a way to distract herself and be productive. Likely he'd be back soon, and she may as well make the best of her time until he returned.

Once, briefly, her mind flitted to the idea of escaping. But she sincerely doubted she was there entirely by herself, and what he'd told her the first day was burned into her mind. Besides, if she was being honest with herself, she didn't see a real reason to try. She wouldn't get anywhere, and even if she made it all the way back to Haven, she had no idea what to tell the LEP. They had no other lead but what she'd told them, and knowing what she did, they'd likely waltz right in knowing it was a trap strictly to have a chance to get a Fowl. Nothing she'd done or could do would make any difference now.

So she turned to the stove and simply started making breakfast. It was really the only thing she could do right now.

She cooked some eggs and pancakes, making an extra few to leave just in case he came back. She turned to put her plate on the table and almost dropped it.

Artemis was standing in the doorway, leaning heavily against it. His eyes were ringed with dark circles and appeared to be closed as he stood there, slouched against the wall with his arms crossed.

She set the plate down cautiously and leaned against the counter. "Artemis?"

The criminal cracked one eye open to look at her. "I wondered how long it would take for you to realize I was here," he murmured. His voice was thick and hoarse with exhaustion.

Holly frowned, looking him over. She wasn't accustomed to seeing him like this, and it unnerved her in a way she didn't care to admit. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

He opened both eyes and smiled dryly at her. "You really want to know?"

Her heart thundered in her chest, but she gulped down the fear and nodded. "Yes."

He sighed, straightening and walking over to the fridge. "My mother is getting worse, that's all. Last night, her delusions got so bad that no one else could get through to her, so I had to go deal with it myself."

"Oh." Holly stared at him as he pulled a container of orange juice out of the fridge and poured himself a glass. He'd told her his mother was bad off, but he'd never said how bad before. How bad must it hurt to watch her lose herself a little more every day? "I'm so sorry, Artemis," she murmured, and she meant it.

He took two Aspirin and washed them down with the orange juice before replying. "So am I," he told her quietly.

It was silent for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked after a moment, looking at him.

He met her eyes. "No. The only thing I want right now is to bring my father back so he can fix her." He stopped suddenly and shook his head. "Well, and a distraction, but as my norm is not a possibility at the moment, I think I'll just settle for getting some rest instead." He set his cup down and walked past her, rubbing his eyes.

Holly turned after him, watching him go. "Norm?" she said quietly, more to herself than anything.

But he heard her. Seeming to think she was asking him, he answered without ever turning around. "Yes. I prefer the distraction of company, if possible, but I wouldn't do that to nor ask that of you."

She frowned slightly. "I could keep you company," she murmured, sounding almost disappointed.

He stopped in the doorway and looked back at her. He ran his gaze over her and shook his head once. "Not this kind of company, Holly. Only in my dreams." With that, he left.

She stared after him for a long moment before she understood. Then her face turned red slowly and she lowered herself into a chair, thinking. Obviously she understood what he meant now, but… would she? Could she?

She thought about his last comment. Could he possibly have an interest in her? It sounded like it. All things considered, she might consider it, but he made it sound like an all too common thing for her to feel comfortable. She didn't want to be used and thrown away, and that was all that could happen. Right?

Pushing the thoughts away, she turned to her food only to realize she wasn't really hungry anymore. She ate it anyway, unwilling to waste it, then put the plate in the sink to wash later. Sighing, she got up and went back upstairs.

She'd intended to go back to her room and relax, but she found herself drawn to his room instead. Carefully, she cracked open the door and peeked in.

Artemis was laying in bed, already unconscious. He must have been exhausted. How long has he been out? He'd said last night, so he must have left some time after she went to bed and been gone all night.

She approached him quietly, looking down at his sleeping form. He didn't stir. Sighing slightly, she brushed a strand of ebony hair out of his face.

He twitched slightly, reaching up and taking her hand. He grasped it softly, still mostly asleep, and tugged her hand gently.

Without thinking, she responded, sliding in beside him. He turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him tightly.

Holly stiffened slightly and then relaxed into him, letting his warmth envelope her. This was a terrible idea, but she didn't care. She felt certain one way or another she wouldn't do anything she didn't want to do, but even hardened criminals, it seemed, needed comfort sometimes.

So she laid curled up with him for a few hours, warm and comfortable, dozing against him as he slept. She didn't mean to fall asleep herself, but there wasn't much else to do, and as comfortable as she was, it was inevitable.

She woke up, some time later, not even having realized she'd fallen asleep. She opened her eyes slowly to find Artemis staring at her, watching her with sleepy, but thoughtful eyes.

"Hi," she murmured, unsure what else to say.

"Hi." The criminal yawned into his arm. "How long have you been here?"

"A while." She shrugged slightly. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while," he repeated, not mockingly, watching her. Then he sighed and closed his eyes again. "Why did you decide to join me?"

"I didn't, consciously," she admitted. "But I came in to check on you and you didn't want me to leave." She raised their still-conjoined hands and showed them to him.

He squeezed it and kissed her knuckles softly. A shiver went down her spine at the feeling. "Well, obviously you wanted to stay too, or you'd have woken me up."

Holly bit her lip. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters." He paused, looking down at their hands and then releasing hers slowly. "Which is exactly why you should probably leave now."

Her heart stuttered and she blinked. "What?"

He sighed. "Holly. Please. I've fought myself every moment since you've been here to keep under control. The longer you're in here, the less I can promise."

Holly looked at him. His eyes were dark and burning bright blue. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't act so innocent." He released her hand and pulled her by the waist close to him. She was suddenly aware of the hardness against her hip and the warmth in her own stomach as his lips brushed her neck. "If you haven't realized how bad I want you already, then it's best you leave before you find out."

"Maybe I want to find out," Holly murmured, looking at him. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she met his eyes steadily. She didn't mean to say the words, but she realized with a start they weren't untrue.

Artemis stared at her. For a long moment, he said nothing, and nothing happened. Then suddenly he was on top of her, kissing her, holding her there by her hair in a way that wasn't painful but left nowhere for her to go. He settled himself between her legs, and she parted and wrapped her legs around his hips without question, reaching for him. Her fingers tangled in his thick hair as he crushed her against him, never stopping for breath.

He kissed her desperately, roughly, with all of the strength he had left. She kissed him back, surprised but with equal force, until finally he threw himself back, releasing her and stumbling from the bed.

Holly fell back, panting harshly. She felt like part of herself had been ripped away, leaving her cold and in pieces. Why had he done that?

He moved away, shoving his hands through his hair and shaking his head. He was breathing hard too, his whole body shaking from the effort.

Holly stared at him. "Why did you-" she started, but he waved her away shakily.

"I don't deserve you, Holly. Least of all to ruin you for nothing. You deserve much better." His voice rattled with the effort of getting the words out.

She rubbed her swollen lips, sitting up. "So you don't want me?"

He barked out a breathless laugh. "Don't be a fool. You'd have been in my bed the first day and never left if things worked how I wanted them to. But that doesn't mean I deserve you."

"Maybe not, but I want you, and I don't really give a damn about what you think you deserve," she told him. Her breath was still coming harshly. She hadn't intended for this to happen, hadn't realized until he'd kissed her how much she'd actually wanted him to all those times they got too close. Reckless desire seized her, and she realized that she didn't care anymore about the consequences.

Artemis sighed, moving back towards the bed. He lowered himself beside her slowly. "Honestly?"

"Do I look like I care to lie, Artemis? What reason do I have to lie?" She crawled back to him as he sat on the bed, straddling his lap.

He shrugged. His hands ran up her sides slowly, moving right up her shirt as a hint of his familiar smirk returned. "Perhaps you think I'll let you go if you sleep with me."

She shook her head, shivering slightly as his hand moved up her spine. "I'm not stupid."

"That's good. Because this will only make me want to keep you more." And he kissed her again.

He flipped her back on the bed, kissing her, his hands running through her hair and under her shirt and anywhere else they could get to. He knew she was new to this, and knew he should be gentle, sweet even, to try and make it special and painless, but the grasp she had on him made him not care and not think she did so much either.

They kissed forever, it seemed, only ever breaking contact long enough to peel off clothing. He wanted to wander, to explore her, and he could sense she felt similar, but restrained himself nonetheless. There ought to be time enough for that another day. He desperately needed her now - needed anyone, after the violent nightmares he'd been having, which were the exact reason he hadn't wanted to sleep when he'd come back - and he needed to bury himself in her.

Whether because she sensed it, or because of her own excitement or perhaps even just lack of experience, she didn't push. If she was being honest, she was content to kiss him for hours, and she didn't know enough about foreplay to care that he was already sliding between her legs. He pushed into her, and she winced and gasped slightly even though she expected it, her nails digging into his back. He gave her just enough time to adjust as if he could feel when she was ready, then started to move.

Holly clung to him as he thrust in and out of her, pressing his face in her neck when they simply couldn't kiss any longer for lack of air and sore lips. Their moans and gasps of pleasure mingled as they moved, rising to the high point.

She went over first, unable to help it. The sensations were overwhelming and his warmth, the way he moaned and whispered in her ear and against her skin, were too much and just enough at the same time. He didn't take long to join her, and they both clung to each other as they writhed with pleasure.

They laid together, both panting, still holding each other close. Holly rested her head against his chest and drifted off against him, the sound of his thundering heart sending her to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

They awoke a short while later, still clinging to each other in the bed. Holly hardly realized she'd dozed off, but after they'd settled down warmth encompassed her and exhaustion had took over, and she simply hadn't been able to help it.

Artemis hardly seemed to mind. He was awake before her again, watching her sleep with dark, electric eyes.

Holly looked up at him, biting her lip and waiting for him to say something. Eventually he just sighed and kissed her forehead, sitting up beside her. She looked at him as he climbed out of the bed. "Where are you going?"

"Shower." He looked down at her. "Would you like to join?"

Holly thought about it, then snuggled deeper into the blankets. "I'm comfy here. Go ahead."

Artemis nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Holly laid there, staring up at the ceiling, still reeling slightly. The last thing she'd come in here to accomplish was this, but she couldn't deny that she was happy about it. Happier than she cared to admit, if she was being honest.

A quick glance at the clock showed it had only been a few hours since he got back, and a few minutes since he'd left. She sighed, pulling the blankets closer to her and curling up. She closed her eyes and settled back down, waiting for him to come back out. She had no desire to move whatsoever.

A few minutes later, the bed shifted beside her as Artemis returned. She opened her eyes, looking at him as he settled beside her again. He'd put on lounge pants but didn't bother with a shirt or anything else.

"Comfy?" he asked amusedly as he settled on his side and faced her.

Holly nodded, moving towards him to curl against his warm chest. "Yes."

He chuckled, running his fingers idly through her hair. "Do you intend to move at all today?"

"Not particularly." She smiled up at him. "Unless you intend to make me."

"I should, but somehow I think I've exercised the last of my self-control around you for today." He sighed slightly, his eyebrows drawing together as he toyed with her hair.

She frowned slightly. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly.

He met her eyes and sighed again, sitting up. "Holly, you and I both know that this is a bad idea. That's all." He paused. "I will only hurt you, in the end."

"You make it sound like you think I expect something from you now." She sat up with him, keeping the blankets wrapped around her.

"Because, Holly, I know you do. It's your personality. It's why you seemingly have no romantic history at all." He paused when she started slightly, surprised, but only smiled slightly ruefully at her. "You want a relationship. Commitment. And that is something that I can't give you - at least not for a long time."

Holly swallowed her protests, knowing he was right. It was the truth, after all. How he knew was beyond her, but she did have a seemingly nonexistent history when it came to relationships. Just like she'd worried this morning, she'd had the same sentiment her whole life - she didn't want to just be used and thrown away. She wanted, needed, more than that. "Why not?" she asked quietly.

"Because." He stood up. "That would require me to quit what I'm doing, to stop running from the law and committing crimes. And that's how I make money to search for my father." He ran his hands through his dark hair, looking down. "I can't stop searching until I find him, Holly. For my family's sake as well as my own."

She sighed, leaning against the wall the bed was pressed against. "Artemis… did you ever think that he might just be-"

"He's not dead," Artemis interrupted. "I know he's not dead."

"I was going to say gone," Holly said quietly. "Maybe for good. But what makes you so sure he's alive?"

The criminal shook his head, settling in one of the armchairs by the window. He stared out of it, his eyes somewhere far away. "I can't tell you that, Holly. But he's not dead. He's just… not."

Holly stared at him, chewing her lip. Some part of her wanted to tell him how childish he sounded, that he was likely just in denial. But then the other part reminded her that he was a genius, and it was incredibly likely he had some reason to believe it that he simply wouldn't share with her. Besides, didn't he have a right to be childish about this? If it was her father… she couldn't bear to think too hard about it, but she knew the sentiment would be the same.

Finally she sighed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't tell the LEP, you know," she said quietly.

He blinked, his eyes flashing as he attempted to turn his thoughts back to reality. "What?"

She got up, wrapping the duvet around her and walking over to sit next to him in the seat. It was almost big enough for both of them to stretch out on, and she fit next to him easily. "I wouldn't tell the LEP," she repeated, looking at him. "Anything. Ever. Especially not if you asked me not to." Not anymore, she added mentally.

The same thought seemed to occur to him, and he smiled ruefully down at her. "I believe you. But you wouldn't understand." He reached up, running his fingers through her hair, and sighed slightly. "Why don't you go get a shower, and I'll make us some lunch?"

Holly nodded, chewing her lip. She got up silently, going across the hall to her room silently and getting in the shower.

After a few minutes she got out, putting on a pair of dark leggings and the red sweater she'd bought shopping with Juliet before heading downstairs.

Artemis was in the kitchen again. He'd pitched her cold pancakes and made them fresh eggs, bacon, and toast instead.

Holly raised an eyebrow at him when she saw the spread, but he answered before she could ask. "We missed breakfast, but it's a bit too early for lunch too, so…" He shrugged, gesturing to the table. "It sounded good, besides."

"I won't argue with that." She sat at the table, and he poured them both drinks before joining her. She started eating immediately, surprised to find how hungry she was.

Artemis ate too, not at all surprised to find he was starving since he hadn't eaten since the night before. He'd had something small at the Manor to tide him over, but he hadn't been able to stomach anything else at the time.

When they finished, having eaten quickly and in relative silence since they were both starving, Artemis cleaned up the dishes. Holly watched him silently, thinking. There was something that had been eating at her for a while now, and she wanted to ask before anything else that could possibly happen. "Artemis?"

"Hm?" He was still rinsing one of their plates.

She hesitated, then blurted, "Do you actually intend to let me go?"

He put the plate on the counter to dry, turned off the water, and turned to face her slowly, drying his hands. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Because." She quirked a shoulder, looking down. She couldn't meet his gaze. "I need to know."

Artemis sighed, putting the towel down and approaching her. He tilted her head up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I haven't lied to you, Holly. I wouldn't tell you something if I didn't mean it. And believe me when I say I intend to give you back to the LEP in one piece eventually. It's just not going to be soon. Alright?"

She nodded. Despite what she knew, or perhaps because of it, she trusted him. She didn't think he wanted to hurt her, but she also didn't think that would stop him. "Alright," she said at last.

Artemis pulled her to her feet, kissing her hair softly. "Want to play a round of chess?" he asked.

Holly hesitated. It seemed like he was trying to change the subject, but he'd answered her question, she supposed. "Sure," she agreed finally. He'd started teaching her how to play a few days ago. After he beat her in three moves, just to show off, he actually started teaching her how to play. She was decent, but not anywhere near his level.

"I'll set it up. Let's go in the sitting room."

They went into the sitting room by the fire. Artemis pulled a little corner table between the two armchairs and retrieved the game, setting it up as she watched.

They started playing, and Holly almost forgot about having asked him altogether until he brought it up. "Why did you ask me that?" he asked her, moving one of his bishops.

"What?" Holly asked, caught by surprise as she contemplated his move. "About letting me go?" He nodded. "I just… figured the likelihood wasn't high, with what you've told me and all that."

Artemis sighed. "It shouldn't be. But I will. I intend to. I don't know quite how yet, but... I will."

"Is that part of why it will be so long?" she asked, finally deciding her move and moving one of her knights.

"Part of it, but not all of it." He took the knight she moved and smirked at her. "Most of it is wait on tools, and certain events that have to happen first."

"Like what?"

Artemis looked at her almost reproachfully. "You know I won't tell you that, Holly."

"Why not?" She moved a rook and looked at him.

"Because. It largely wouldn't make sense to you, and I never tell anyone my whole plan. That's dangerous." He paused, studying the board. "Besides, then you'd understand where your discrepancies were and I don't want you driving yourself crazy with guilt." He moved a knight.

She tried not to flinch as her stomach twisted slightly at the mention of her original mission. She tried not to think about why she was in this situation a lot, for the exact reason he said. "I see," she murmured, reaching for a piece.

Artemis caught her hand. "Don't make that move. And don't be upset, Holly. It simply is. Let me worry about the hard stuff."

She looked at him, biting her lip. "Shouldn't you be working, not spending time with me, if there's still details to work out?"

"At this point everything else has to sort itself out. That's the simplest I can tell you." He released her hand, and she dropped it slowly. "And you will be checked if you move that."

She frowned, staring at the board. He was right, of course, on both accounts, but that didn't make her any happier. She moved another piece and shook her head.

Artemis pressed his lips together. He could check her anyway with that move. Her heart must not have been in it anymore.

He took her king and looked up at her to find her staring blankly towards the glass wall, her mind obviously somewhere else. He sighed, getting up and rounding the table to settle on the arm of the chair beside her.

She jumped slightly, looking up at him as he set her king back on the table. She sighed. "You beat me again," she murmured, sounding defeated suddenly. Her words carried a double meaning, and her tone made it sound like it wasn't an accident.

He frowned slightly at her. "What's wrong, Holly?"

Holly looked up at him again, the sound of her name seeming to bring her back all the way. "I just… I don't know. I like you, but it's easier when I can forget why exactly I'm here, why like this. And I guess I'm just worried. I know you do this for your dad, so you have to realize...that's my dad, too, Artemis." She looked away.

He sighed, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Of course I realize that, Holly. And I understand." He looked down at her. "When I told you before that I laid a trap for them, I made it sound far more sinister than I intend it to actually be. I just need to teach Julius a lesson. Nobody is actually going to get hurt."

She met his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"Personally? Nothing. But I do have a plan, and you know I'm not going to tell you what it is."

"Why does everything have to be top secret?" She got up, walking around him and moving over to the glass wall. She couldn't help feeling a bit exasperated with all the secrecy. "Why can't you just tell me?"

Artemis watched her. He knew how she felt, but he still couldn't tell her everything, for about a dozen different reasons. "It just has to be, Holly. I've told you this." He paused. "If it helps, I've told you more than I've ever told anyone else."

"About what?"

"About me." He stood up, walking over to her slowly. "About my motives, about all this." He shrugged. "Butler and Juliet know most of it, but only because they worked for my family before all of this. Mulch knows enough because he was connected with this before my father disappeared. But I've never actually told anyone. I've never trusted anyone enough."

Holly looked up at him as he came to a stop beside her, chewing her lip. "You trust me?"

"Yes, I do." He put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it and smiling gently at her. "And believe me when I say I'm not not telling you these things because I don't want to, but because I really believe it wouldn't make sense to you, because it shouldn't. It's not supposed to make sense to anyone else."

"You could make it make sense to me," Holly told him. He shook his head, and she pouted, trying again. "If you won't tell me, will you at least answer honestly if I ask you questions about what you told me?"

"That depends on what you ask."

"Why did they mention stealing art and robbing a bank?" She looked at him.

"If I told you that, I may as well tell you the whole plan." He sighed, looking out the window and pulling her closer. She didn't resist, leaning into him. He was like a space heater.

"Why don't you just tell me then? What's the danger? By the time you let me go this whole thing will be over anyway!" She took his hand, looking down at it and toying with his fingers. "Please."

He sighed again, closing his eyes. Despite himself, despite knowing the dangers, he wanted to tell her. "I can't tell you everything, Holly."

"Then don't. Just answer my question." She laced her fingers in his and looked up at him again. "Did you have them tell me that just to trick me?"

"It wasn't about tricking you. It was about tricking the LEP," he muttered, half-trying to avoid the question.

"So it was a lie?" she pressed.

"No. It wasn't." He stared resolutely out the window as he spoke, unwilling to meet her eyes. "It does involve a bank and a museum. I have a painting I'm going to replace and sell to a client. While my security team and I break into the museum and replace it, a second team is going to crack a bank safe. It gets me almost double the money, and security in if one goes wrong the other could still go through." He shrugged.

"And the trap?" she asked quietly.

"Something else entirely."

"But what if they somehow figure it out?"

"Then I look forward to facing Julius head on."

It was quiet for a few minutes while she digested this information. He knew he shouldn't have told her, realistically, but he didn't want her to make herself sick dwelling on it either. They stared out the window silently, holding each other.

Holly spoke first, looking up at him and leaning her cheek against his chest. "Artemis?"

He looked down. "Yes?"

"Thank you. For telling me." Her eyes were wide and sincere, and she bit her lip again.

He smiled down at her. "You're welcome, Holly."

She smiled back, then leaned up and kissed him again. He kissed her back, holding her close as she reached up, running her hands through his hair and pressing herself close to him again. His hands slid down her sides, grasping her waist, but he stopped himself before going any further and pulled back gently. "Wait," he breathed against her cheek.

"What?" She bit her lip, looking up at him with wide eyes. Her face was already flushed, her body still pressed against his.

He sighed, stroking her cheek softly. "I just...before anything happens again, I need to know you understand, Holly. I meant it when I said I can't give you any commitment." He licked his lips, looking down at her. "I can give you this month, but I can't promise anything after that. You may never even see me again."

Holly nodded, swallowing hard, but she didn't release her grip on him. "I know," she murmured. "I...I understand. I don't like it, but… if this is all we have, I'll take it." She looked up at him with wide, sincere eyes. "I just...want you. Even though I know I shouldn't, and I know how bad it will hurt later… I just do."

Artemis pressed his lips together and nodded slowly. "If that's your choice… then I accept that."

He kissed her again, lifting her up and carrying her to the chairs again, settling in one and setting her down so she straddled his lap. She raised up on her knees, peeling off her sweater and tossing it aside. He licked his lips as he watched, running his hands up her spine slowly. "What do you want, Holly?" he asked quietly.

"What?" She looked at him, biting her lip. "I thought-"

He put his hand up, and she trailed to a stop, biting her lip. "I suppose how is more accurate," he corrected himself. He ran his hands up and down her back gently. "Do you want me to be slow and gentle, or hard and fast? Do you like it rough? Soft? Dominant? Kinky?" He was smirking slightly at the end, joking but yet still serious.

She bit her lip. "What do you want?" she asked, curious and also not quite sure how to answer.

He seemed to sense this and smiled. "Right now I just want you however I can get you. Whether that's you being worshipped gently in my bed or being pounded into tied to it, I'll take either right now." He stroked his thumb down her jawline.

She inhaled slightly, unable to help the twinge in her stomach at the thought. "You want to tie me up?"

"I didn't say that. It was a question." His eyes were dark and soft. "Although I admit it would be appealing to me eventually, certainly not now. I'd rather worship you now the way I didn't last night, because that's what you deserve. But it's whatever you want."

"In bed?" She chewed her lip, still reeling a little from the previous idea. It was equally scary and exciting, in a way it probably shouldn't be, but she wouldn't be considering that at all just yet.

"If you'd like. Or right here." He rubbed her bare sides, feeling her skin rise against his touch. "I told you, it's up to you."

Holly nodded slowly, looking down. "Is here good?"

"Yes." His hand found the clasp of her bra. "If that's what you really want."

Holly nodded again, looking down at him and biting her lip. He reached up and tugged it free gently, bringing her mouth down to his and kissing her gently and briefly. "I want you to trust me, Holly," he murmured against her cheek. "But if we're not there yet, it's completely understandable. And I want you to know you have full control right now. Okay?" He pulled back to look at her.

"Okay," she breathed. He trailed his lips from her cheek down her neck, sucking and nipping her skin softly. He could tell he'd frightened her some, and he didn't like it. He'd never tried to have any relationship before. It was always sex with whomever he wanted however he wanted, and he had never had to think about it. Now he did, and he wanted to, but it was difficult when he really wanted it to work.

And so from then on he found himself being extremely careful. Every touch and kiss was tender and gentle and light, letting her decide when to press or deepen or move. He tried to be soothing, when his mouth wasn't otherwise occupied, not wanting her to possibly be nervous or feel threatened after his stupid comments. He worshipped her body from top to bottom, slowly and gently, kissing and sucking and making her feel as much as she could as many times as she could take it before collapsing with exhaustion against him, trembling and panting.

He wrapped his arms around her as she laid against him, curling up in a ball against his chest as she calmed down. He held her silently, nuzzling her hair until she settled.

"You did this on purpose," she mumbled, closing her eyes against his chest.

"What?" He looked down at her, feeling warmer inside at the sight of her than he cared to admit.

"You exhausted me on purpose," she murmured, not moving. He smiled.

"Maybe not entirely on purpose, but that was part of the idea," he admitted.

"But I wanted to-..."

"We'll talk about that later." He kissed her hair. "Rest." He stood up, holding her, and carried her up to bed.

He laid beside her and tucked them in, holding her close. She looked like she might resist at first, but after a minute she dozed off peacefully against him. He kissed her hair, then dimmed the lights and went to sleep next to her.

 **I just realized how long some of these chapters are... the last few have all been over 3000 words and this has to be too I'm sure. Wow. I never realize until I go to post them.**

 **Things are starting to get good! We're getting semi-close to the end - at least I am with writing. I'm both excited and sad but there's a sequel too in my head so that's okay! Speaking of which, I may post the beginning of the Eye For An Eye sequel too shortly. We'll see.**

 **Let me know what you think! As we inch towards the holiday part and the end, how do you all expect it to go? What do you think will happen? I've already got it planned out, but it's still interesting to hear. 3**


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay, we're getting to the Christmas part and I'm in the middle of writing the end of it right now and I'm super excited for it. Any guesses as to what he gets her for Christmas? Or what his big plan is in this chapter that he won't reveal? (The plan, admittedly, is a bit more obvious to figure out.)**

 **Also, more smutty stuff in this chapter. Still not ultra descriptive, but a bit more going on than last time, so you're all forewarned.**

18.

Things at the LEP were not going so well.

Chris was working constantly with Julius, Foaly, and every other person with clearance to try to piece together what was going on. He hardly ever went home anymore until late into the night, only to get up and come back bright and early the next morning to continue working. To say he was stressed would be an understatement.

Holly had given them a lot of information to work with, but none of it seemed to make sense. They were having a hell of a time trying to piece everything together. Nothing added up. It just didn't seem to make sense. Whatever master plan Fowl was putting together, they were no closer to figuring it out.

They knew it wasn't happening on the mainland, and mostly likely was something somewhere in Europe, but beyond that, anywhere on the continent was fair game. And she'd given them some conflicting information. It seemed like she was getting information about multiple heists, not whatever the big thing he was planning was. She'd told them things about an art heist and a bank break in, but even assuming he would only go after big names, that left hundreds of options across Europe. There was too much going on, too much to sort through for it all to make one clean picture.

On top of all this, Chris was worried about Holly. They hadn't really had a set communication plan, but it had been over a week and he'd heard nothing from her. The last few times he'd tried to text her, they'd gone through, but according to the company they all had yet to be opened or viewed by her. This sent alarm bell up in his head. Why was she suddenly not checking her phone?

There was only two answers that made sense to him. Either she was busted, and thus didn't have it anymore, or she was afraid to use it because she was close to getting caught. Either way didn't sit well with him. It meant something had changed, and he didn't like it.

When he approached Root about the possibility of pulling her out, the response hadn't been what he wanted, to say the least. His boss had simply looked at him like he was an idiot for a long moment before finally answering with a question he wasn't prepared to answer.

"Say I agreed to pull her out right now," Root had told him. "If I told you that it was fine, do it. How do you intend to with no means communication and no idea where she is?"

That argument left him at a loss. Foaly, who really wanted to see that nothing happened to Holly, had offered afterward to attempt to track her, but it seemed that all the equipment they'd given her had disappeared as though it never existed, and her phone and computer were both suddenly completely untraceable.

By this point, Chris had decided it was his prerogative to panic, but he still had no idea what to do about it. They had no idea where she was or why she couldn't answer. The only option besides capture was that she had to have turned them off herself, which he couldn't even begin to fathom. That meant she would have had to switch sides, and there was no reason for her to do that. Right?

Still, he could only sit and stir for so long. So he went back through the files detailing her original mission, and decided to trace her from the last place they knew for sure she was. The casino. And from then on, he spent every free moment he could conjure there, hoping against hope and logic to run into her somehow.

It became an unhealthy obsession. But he didn't give up; he refused to. And after several days, his idea came to fruition. Just not in the way he would have hoped.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As the days went on and Christmas neared, Holly's mood notably went downhill. She had more moments like the day they'd talked about his plan, more frequently than she should have. She wasn't hateful or in a bad mood, but just seemed more...wistful, he supposed. Almost too compliant in a way he knew wasn't her. Artemis hated to see it, knowing it was his fault, but there wasn't much he could do.

Of course, he only saw it when he was there. More than once now he'd been called out to do something regarding work, and every time it had taken hours longer than it should have. He hated leaving her alone, especially when she was so obviously starting to get depressed - not for lack of trust, but because she obviously could use company, or anything to keep her busy and keep her mind off of the things that were getting to her.

He wished there was some way he could let her go home for the holiday, even for a few hours, but he knew it was impossible. Not because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't trust the LEP. No doubt she'd never make it out again if she set foot in her hometown. Even going with her would be too risky - again because of the unpredictability of the LEP, and because Butler would never let him without a guard, which would arouse way too much suspicion. Perhaps if she weren't so directly connected… but he would be a fool to walk into the house of one of the LEP's top officers, guard or no.

So that option got ruled out. But he didn't give up searching for an answer. He was a genius, after all, and his brain had never failed him before.

Eventually it came to him. A whole plan, just for her - and perhaps a bit selfishly for himself. There were so many risk factors involved, but at this point, he didn't care.

The week of Christmas was quickly approaching, and her mood didn't improve as it neared. Artemis took a few days to get his plan into action - certain things had to happen to make it work - but it was ready in almost no time at all.

A few days after finally deciding what to do, he set it into motion.

He was in the midst of making a big breakfast for them when she came down the morning, rubbing her eyes as she stumbled to a chair. He handed her a plate and gestured to the spread on the table. "Eat up."

Holly looked at him with her hazel eyes, still wide and glazed from sleep. "This is… different."

"Well, I sensed it was time for a change," he said loftily, turning off the stove and going to the fridge.

"I'm not a fan of change," Holly muttered, looking down at her plate as if contemplating it. "Especially not when it comes from you. It makes me think there's something you're not telling me."

Artemis grabbed the juice out of the fridge and joined her at the table. "You're right. There is. But it's a surprise. So just do what you're told and don't make me fight with you."

Holly frowned slightly, looking like she wanted to say something before deciding against it. She simply took the cup of juice he poured her instead and started loading her plate.

He exhaled deeply, glad she wasn't arguing. He didn't want to make her miserable by having to be a controlling jackass, but if she forced his hand… Well, he would do what he had to.

They ate silently. She was thinking too much to care to talk, wondering what this was about, and he didn't push. He wanted to keep her in as good a mood as possible.

When they finished, he cleaned up quickly, and she sat and watched as if unsure what to do. He turned to her as he finished and smiled. "Alright. Now go get dressed and pack a bag. Something nice, if you would."

Holly raised an eyebrow, a hint of her normal sass breaking through. "Pack a bag? Are we going somewhere?"

"Yes, but-"

"Are we coming back?" she interrupted.

"Yes. Just not for a few days. So do as I asked, please." He tried not to get irritated, remembering this was supposed to be a pleasant trip.

She pressed her lips together, again looking like she was going to argue before thinking better of it. She got up and left silently.

He waited a moment to be sure she had gone, then went up to his quarters, packing his own bag quickly. He'd been so busy with the other preparations that he hadn't had time to do it until now. It should be worth it though, in the end.

He finished packing his bag and threw on some clothes, then slung it over his shoulder, going over to her room.

She was already dressed when he entered, in dark blue jeans and a black sweater with a red scarf looped around her neck. He approached behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "About ready?"

She threw the top closed on the small suitcase and nodded. "I am now." She grabbed it by the handle and turned, looking at him. "You really still won't tell me what's going on?"

"Nope. It's not a surprise then." He took her other hand, leading her out of the room. "I think you'll like it. Believe me. If it was anything bad, you'd know." He shrugged. "Just don't give me any issues." He smirked down at her.

"Or what?" She pulled the handle up on the suitcase and started rolling it behind her. She sounded more curious than anything.

"Or it won't be near as pleasant as it's intended to be," he told her simply. "Because then I'd have to be a jackass again, and I get tired of putting up that front very quickly." He sighed slightly, looking away.

She took pity on him and stopped talking then. She really didn't want him to start being a jerk again either. She just couldn't help being curious, and a little scared, if she was being honest. She wasn't so sure how she'd feel about whatever this surprise was, whether it was supposed to be pleasant or not.

Artemis lead her out of the suite and into the nearby elevator. It was the first time she'd been outside of it in weeks, and the rest of the hotel looked familiar and foreign at the same time. But one thing really stood out to her as they left.

"Where is everyone?" Holly asked, looking up at him.

"Ahead of us. They should all be waiting when we get there." He shrugged, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Where is there?"

"You'll see when we get there," he told her, looking at her with a smirk that was somewhere between exasperated and amused.

She pouted slightly, and he shook his head silently. She was more engaged than she had been in days, although a bit annoyingly. He kept reminding himself this was a good thing as they exited the building.

A car was waiting for them outside as they came around the building. He took her bag and his, then opened the door for her and gestured her in.

Holly slid in the backseat, looking around at the dark interior. It was sleek black leather, already warm from what she presumed must have been heated seats. She settled back and looked at Artemis as he got in.

He slid in beside her and looked around as the locks clicked into place. She jumped slightly, and he smiled at her. "Security paranoia," he told her, taking her hand.

Holly looked down at their hands, chewing her lip. "I see." She glanced towards the front. "Who's driving?"

Artemis looked up and shrugged. "Not sure, honestly. But he was handpicked by Butler, and I trust him implicitly, so I'm not worried about it."

She nodded. "Why is there no seat belts back here?"

He grinned as if pleased she'd asked and sat back. "This car is the epitome of luxury and safety. A bomb couldn't damage this thing. Believe me, we're safe without seat belts." He looked towards the front seat and tapped on a glass barrier she hadn't noticed before. "This is completely soundproof and bulletproof, as are the windows. They're also tinted, so no one can see in. It has everything, if I do say so myself." He shrugged. "Which I do, as I designed it."

She blinked in surprise. "You designed this?"

"I designed about a dozen of them, actually. Everyone in my team has one." His smile widened. "I spent several months designing these things. Safest cars in the world."

"You think so?" Holly sat back, sinking into the heated seat. It was warm and cozy.

Artemis stretched out beside her. "I know so. They have every security measure you could possibly ever need. Like I said, a bomb or a tank couldn't take this thing out. If a truck slammed into the side of the vehicle right now, it would barely leave a scratch. And they're eco-friendly." He quirked a shoulder. "Cost several hundred thousand to make, but it was worth it."

"Hundred thousand?" That kind of money seemed crazy to someone like her. She hadn't gone without growing up, and they lived well, but they were far from rich. "That's a crazy amount of money for a car."

"That's pocket change to us, Holly. Well, it used to be." He paused, looking down. It was nice to see her so interested in something again, although it was a rather touchy topic for him. "We're not broke by any means, but we're considerably poorer than we used to be."

"From your cars?"

He laughed. "From my searching. Rescue expeditions aren't cheap, especially when they fail." His grin faded some.

"Oh." She bit her lip. She'd never really thought about it, let alone like that.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm narrowing it down, slowly but surely. He's not in Ireland for sure. Or England. Or America."

Holly nodded silently, unsure how to respond to that. It sounded like very little ground to have covered, but she knew how expensive that much must have been. She could imagine how he'd managed to deplete the family funds searching.

He shook his head suddenly as if dislodging the thought. "Anyway. No more negativity. This is going to be fun." He smiled at her. "Although we do have several hours by car ahead that might be a bit boring."

"Is this going to take us to our final destination?"

"No."

"Then can you tell me where we're going now?"

Artemis sighed. "I suppose." He laced his fingers behind his head, stretching out on the seat. "We're heading by car back to the casino where Mulch picked you up. It just so happens there's a hidden helicopter pad out back where I keep one of my emergency jets." He shrugged. "We'll board there and make the rest of the journey by jet."

"We're going back to Cub Casino?" Her heart thundered suddenly at the thought. A million "what ifs" flittered through her head. "Don't you think that's dangerous?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Of course I'm aware of the risks, Holly. But the jet is will cut our journey in half by almost two days, and no one knows who I am. I've done this before. It'll be fine."

"I just…" She bit her lip. "I don't know how to put this without sounding bad," she admitted. "It's just...it's been ages since I've talked to any of them, and that's the last place they knew of for sure where I was."

Artemis sighed. "I'm well aware of the fact there could be LEP scouts there, Holly. There's not much I can do about it except avoid confrontation and if worst comes to worst, talk our way out of it. Are we going to have a problem with that?"

She chewed her lip, looking down. "I promised I wouldn't say anything, Artemis. And...I'll play along if something happens. But I just don't want you to think that my dad is stupid. Because even if it's not him there, it will get back to him, and he just...knows things." She shrugged. "He's not easily fooled."

"And that's one of his best skills. But I am an excellent liar, and at any rate, I never said I'd lie to him." He shrugged, then held up his hand when she opened her mouth again. "Holly. Please just trust me."

She hesitated, then nodded and sighed. "Alright."

"Thank you." He exhaled deeply, holding out an arm towards her in offering. She bit her lip and hesitated again, but after a moment she crawled across the seat and laid beside him. It was plenty big enough for both of them.

Artemis put his arm around her, pulling her close to him. She didn't resist, laying her head on his chest, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. Even as she'd started becoming more distant and out of it, they'd still been working on their budding relationship. She had pulled away some mentally, making physically the best way to get close to her, and she had honestly seemed more open to intimacy the worse she got.

He felt like he was taking advantage of her at first, but then, he knew what she was going through, where her mind was. He'd been in the same place before. He was no more taking advantage of her than the women he'd used as a distraction before her had him. It was consensual, and she knew what she was doing. Sex was a good distraction. He ought to know.

Artemis sighed, rubbing her back softly and holding her close. To be her comfort and the source of her pain at the same time… what a paradox.

Holly dozed off against him, and he let her sleep. They had hours of driving ahead still. May as well let her rest.

He dozed on and off, running through plans and ideas in his head when he was awake. He was honestly excited for what they were doing, to see how she reacted, but there was no way he'd tell her early.

Speaking of reactions… the way she reacted about them going to the casino was not great, but also to be expected. He honestly wasn't sure what to expect of her when they got there if they did run into somebody. Sure she'd made him promises, but she'd grown up with these people. Her loyalties were torn, and only time would tell what she would choose.

Holly stirred against him after a while, lifting her head and looking at him. "Are we close yet?" she asked sleepily.

"An hour or so yet, darling." He sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Why don't you go back to sleep, and I'll wake you up when we get there?"

She bit her lip, shifting slightly against him. "I'm not tired anymore though." She sat up enough to rest her head on his shoulder, sliding her hand under his white shirt and across his chest. "I want to be with you now."

Artemis looked at her, tilting his head. "You have to tell me what you want, Holly. You know I can't give you what you don't ask for."

She nodded, kissing him softly and pressing herself close to him. "You said the barrier is soundproof, right?" she asked against his cheek.

"Yes. It's not tinted, but the driver is a bit busy driving." He looked at her. "What is it that you want?"

She sat up completely, pulling him with her. "Something. Anything to make me feel. We have room back here." Holly licked her lips, looking at him. "Please."

"Alright. Calm down." He bit his lip, thinking. Slowly, he turned and set her in his lap, starting to kiss her neck softly.

"Do you want me to strip?" she asked breathlessly, closing her eyes and leaning into him.

"No." He moved his lips down her neck, pulling her scarf off slowly. "I want you to trust me."

"I do."

"Not completely. You're doubting me." He brought his lips to the base of her neck. "I want you to trust me completely, right now. Prove it to me."

"How?"

"Let me use your scarf." He pressed his nose against her neck. She tensed slightly, but he continued before she could protest. "We have an hour, Holly. Give it to me. I've given you complete control every other time, and all you have to say is stop."

Her hesitation was answer enough that she didn't trust him completely, even though he already knew it. He opened his mouth to relent, sensing she was too scared by the prospect, but she interrupted him. "Okay. Fine. Right now. One hour," she told him breathlessly.

Artemis pressed his lips together. "If you don't want to-"

"No," she interrupted again. "I trust you. I told you we'd build up to it, remember?" She had, a while ago, the night he'd jokingly mentioned it the first time.

"Of course I do. But I don't want to push." He lifted the scarf. It was plenty long enough to do what he wanted, and soft enough if she tried had enough she could slip right out.

She'd obviously had the same thought. "Okay. It's not a real bind. That's building." She bit her lip. She still sounded unsure, like she was trying to convince herself, but the only way to get her over it was to do it.

"Yes, darling. Give me your hands then," he murmured against her skin.

Holly took a break and did what he asked. Artemis waited a moment, kissing her neck, then lifted his head, raising the scarf to her eyes. He wrapped it slowly around her head, twisted it into a knot, then used the ends to trap her hands behind her. It wasn't too tight, allowing little room for movement, but enough to make sure she didn't hurt herself. At the same time, he hooked his ankles around hers, pulling her legs wide.

She gasped slightly, and he lowered his lips back to her neck, kissing his way down. "Do you know what I'm going to do?" he asked quietly.

"No." She bit her lip, squirming slightly.

Artemis bit into the base of her neck, not too hard, but enough to leave a mark. She gasped and stilled. "Don't squirm, love. And it's simple." He slid his hands up the back of her shirt, starting to rub her shoulders gently. "I'm just going to massage you all over. You're too tense. When you're ready, I'll do it where you want me to, and you can come and melt into a relaxed puddle against me."

"That sounds…" Holly relaxed slightly, her shoulders dropping. His long fingers rubbing into her shoulders felt so good she couldn't be bothered to care about restraints anymore.

"Amazing?" He smiled. "I hope so."

"Yeah.." she let her head fall back against his shoulder, closing her eyes underneath the scarf. He rubbed her shoulders, moving down her back slowly. After a moment, a thought seemed to occur to her. "Wait a minute. How-"

"Get the catch, did you?" He moved his hands around her front. "Have you ever came in your panties before, darling?"

"N-no." She stuttered and gasped slightly as he slid his hands under her bra, massaging her breasts deeply. She shuddered and arched into his hands.

"Well, don't worry. I won't make you wear them. You'll just simply make the rest of the journey with no panties." He tweaked her nipples gently, rolling them between his fingers.

She moaned breathily, squirming against him. "I-I can't go in public with no underwear," she hissed against him.

Artemis released her nipples, sliding his hands out of her bra and down her body. "Well, if you insist, you don't have to take them off, but you'll be stuck in soaking, sticky panties until we get where we're going." He ran his hands down her legs, massaging up her thighs.

"Maybe you could just...not…" She stopped, unable to say it. Her body trembled against his hands, massaging her tissue deeply. Even deep inside of her she could feel what he was building up to, and she didn't want him to stop.

"What is it, darling?" He ran his lips around her neck. "What were you going to say?"

Holly bit her lip, sensing the trap but not thinking about it clearly in the haze. "If you just stopped, and I… Artemis!" she whined as his hands stilled, her body slowly calming against him. The heat in her core was nearly intolerable when he stopped, the promise of a finish uncertain. "Why-"

"You said stop." He bit that same spot in her neck again, no harder, but deepening the mark already there. "And you were squirming again."

"No, I… I didn't mean it like that." She squeezed her eyes closed under the scarf again, wishing she could even rub her legs together to get any friction. "Please don't stop."

"Okay. Calm down." He kissed her hair. "I will finish you, but now I have to start over. You need to relax all over again."

"No!" she whined. "I'm fine. I'll relax when you finish me. Please." It ached worse than she cared to admit considering he hadn't even touched her there yet.

"That's not how it works." He nibbled her earlobe.

She squirmed. "I'll do whatever you want! You can tie me up for real, I won't doubt you anymore… please." She tugged at the scarf. "I'll wear them. I don't care."

Artemis looked at her, surprised. He nuzzled her neck. "You don't have to bargain with me with things you don't want, Holly. That wasn't the goal." He ran his hands back down her legs, starting to massage her inner thighs again.

She let out a breath of relief. "No, I mean it. You win. I'm stupid for doubting you." She whimpered softly. "If you wanted to hurt me, you don't need to tie me up to do it."

"True." He nuzzled her hair, moving up her thighs slowly. He started unbuttoning her pants. "I wouldn't do anything to you like this that I wouldn't any other day."

"I know." She bit her lip against a whimper as he slid his hand down her pants, cupping her wet sex gently. He wasted no time in bringing his thumb to her clit, circling it as he thrust his fingers in and out of her.

She was so ready that it took almost nothing to make her finally go over. He pulled his hands out of her pants, kissing her hair softly. "Holly?" he murmured against her hair.

She panted as she laid against him limply. "Hm?"

Artemis nuzzled her hair. "Just do one thing for me, as we're almost out of time." He pressed his wet fingers to her lips. "Suck."

Holly opened her mouth without comment and let him press his fingers into it, sucking his fingers clean. She closed her eyes, concentrating solely on that as he released her the knot in the scarf, letting it fall off her hands and eyes. He released her legs too, but she didn't bother to move them.

He pulled his fingers free after a moment, drying them on the inside of his jacket and kissing her gently. "Did I make you feel enough?"

Holly turned in his lap, running her hands through his hair. "Maybe too much," she told him, only half joking.

"Mm…" He smiled at her, his eyes glittering with amusement. "So what are you going to do?"

She squirmed slightly. "What are you going to do with them if I take them off?" she asked. It admittedly felt a bit weird, and she suddenly didn't mind the thought of going without them so bad.

Artemis chuckled. "I'll hold on to them. Don't worry."

She bit her lip. "Where do I-..."

"Where else but here?" He smirked at her.

"Fine." She got off his lap. It was a pain, having to pull off her shoes and jeans and all, but she took them off and peeled off the soaking undergarment, handing it to him.

Artemis took them, then took her wrist, pulling her close. "You can't intend to put your jeans on without getting cleaned up first," he murmured.

Holly frowned slightly, not comprehending for a moment, then suddenly understanding all at once. "Oh. No. No more right now." She kissed him briefly. "I'll cope." She started dressing again.

"Suit yourself." He shrugged, pocketing the underwear as the car came to a stop. The locks on the doors clicked open.

Holly finished getting dressed again, not saying anything. Artemis waited on her to finish before climbing out and holding the door open for her. "Feel better?" he asked, smirking at her.

"Ha ha." She looked at him. "Odd, but better."

"Good." He took her hand, pulling her towards the entrance to the casino.

"What about our bags?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow at her. "I told you, it's under control. Come on."

He lead her through the parking lot towards the entrance to the casino. She spotted her car, left right where she left it, but stopped dead in her tracks. "Artemis."

"What?" He looked at her, and she pointed to where she'd parked. More specifically, the car beside hers.

"My dad is here."


	19. Chapter 19

**Surprise revealed in this chapter! Well, some of it anyway. It may be a bit sappy/emotional towards the end. And there is a confrontation in this chapter, but not a big one. That's still a few chapters away yet. ;)**

19.

"My dad is here."

Artemis frowned slightly, then shrugged. "We knew it was a possibility. It doesn't change anything." He took her by the shoulder. "Just stay close."

Holly nodded, looking down. She knew it was a bad idea, but no matter how counterproductive, she had to admit she wanted to see him. Even just a glimpse, whether she could talk to him or not.

Artemis could sense it. Although he'd known it was possible, he'd hoped it wouldn't happen. But now that it was… could he let her see him, just for a minute? Of course he could, and he trusted Holly - he had no reason not to, especially with him right beside her - but how would her father react? And what if a brief conversation made her worse instead of better?

He had no way to answer that now. So was it worth the risk? He looked down at her, thinking.

They went inside. The music and bodies were instantly overwhelming. Artemis kept firmly ahold of her shoulder, steering her along with him. "I have to find the manager, and then we'll be out of here," he murmured in her ear. She nodded.

He steered her into the back room and left her at a small table in the back, right next to a set of stairs. "I'll be right back," he told her - both a promise and a warning - then disappeared up the stairs.

Holly sat, looking around. He had to be here somewhere, but she didn't dare go look for him. She hadn't seen Artemis mad yet, and she didn't want to make him mad either, especially knowing the Leap of faith he'd taken leaving her here. It was perfect opportunity, not only to find her father, but to be back out the door and in her car before he ever made it up the stairs.

But she didn't. Instead she sat and waited.

It must have only been seconds. She knew if she was what he was there for, scouting, he'd have been watching the entrance. There was no way he hadn't seen her come in. But did he track her back here?

Of course he had. Seconds later, he materialized beside her.

"Holly." The relief in his voice was palpable.

She couldn't help it; she sprang from the chair and hugged him. "Dad." Her voice shook, and she had to steady herself as she pulled back.

He held her by the shoulders firmly, looking her over as if looking for signs of damage. "What happened? You just stopped getting my messages, stopped seeing them, let alone answering… no texts, no emails, nothing. I thought you were busted. I thought…"

Holly shook her head. "It's complicated, but I'm alright. I'm just so happy to see you. It feels like it's been ages." She bit her lip. Over his shoulder, she saw shadows moving at the top of the stairs. They were coming.

"I know. Are you alone?" He glanced around. "I thought you came in with someone."

"I did. He's upstairs. I don't have much time. We're just making a pit stop."

"Pit stop? Where are you going?" He looked at her, alarmed. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." She looked away. "He won't tell me."

"Is it trouble? If you think you're in trouble, then screw the damn info and let's go. We can make it out." He squeezed her shoulders. "You know your safety is the most important thing to me, right? I don't care about the rest."

"I know. But I don't think it's bad. He swears it's not, and I'm pretty sure it-"

She stopped, almost feeling Artemis materialize at her shoulder. He put his hand on the one closest to him. "It's a surprise." He flashed a grin at Chris when he looked at him. "But don't worry. She's in good hands." He looked down at her. "Are you ready, Holly?"

"Yeah." She bit her lip again, turning to her father and throwing her arms around him again. "I love you, Dad. You know that, right?"

"I know. I love you too." He squeezed her once before releasing her. He looked like he wanted to say more, do something to stop her, but then thought better of it. He watched silently as Artemis lead her away.

Holly let him guide her outside to the jet pad silently, not saying anything. Her mind was obviously somewhere far away.

Artemis took her in the jet, setting her down and walking around to make the rest of the arrangements before rejoining her. She hadn't moved, staring silently out the window with wet eyes. She didn't even seem to notice the stray tear that escaped, sliding down her cheek.

He wiped the tear away gently. "Hey now. None of that," he told her, drying her eyes. "Don't make me regret that."

Holly looked down, leaning into him and hugging him. She didn't say anything for a long moment. "Thank you," she murmured, rubbing her cheeks. "I just… I know you did that on purpose, and I…"

"That's the closest thing to letting you see him I could give you, Holly, and so I did. I'm just sorry there's nothing more I can do." He stroked her hair softly,

"It's more than you should have done, by all rights. You trusted me way more than I deserved to be trusted." She shook her head. "But can I ask you something?"

"What?" He looked down at her.

"Well… he asked me why I stopped answering, and I hadn't checked any messages or anything. I told him it was complicated, but… I just wondered, what did you actually do with my stuff?"

A ghost of a smirk turned up his lips. He looked like he was trying to fight it but failed. "You really want to know?"

She cringed slightly at his expression. It was obviously she wasn't going to like the answer. "Probably not, but… yes."

"Your computer is shut off and disabled, because I could do that safely and certainly. Your phone…" he hissed through his teeth. "I smashed it."

"You smashed my phone?" She pulled away, staring at him.

"And scattered the pieces." He shrugged. "Safest method."

"That is… unbelievable." She shook her head, unsure what else to say to that. She knew she really shouldn't be so surprised, but still. She hadn't figured she'd get it back anyway, but the fact that he'd just smashed it dumbfounded her.

"That's the truth." He ran his fingers through her hair.

"You're supposed to be a genius and that's the best you could come up with?"

"There is no supposed to. I am. And I had many ideas, but that was by far the safest option."

"Unbelievable," she repeated, getting up and walking over to one of the windows. The sky was blue and cloudless today. "So how much longer do we have until we get there?"

"Not too long. A few hours." He shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "By the time we get there, everyone ought to be waiting."

"Who's everyone?" She looked over at him.

"If I told you that, I may as well tell you where we're going."

"Why does it have to be such a big secret?" She looked back out the window. "I mean… I trust you, but you have to understand it scares me."

"Of course I understand. But I've told you. It's a surprise. And a good one, I promise."

"One that loses all value if you tell me?"

"Not all value, but all shock value." He grinned at her. "Besides, I want to see if you're smart enough to figure it out without me telling you."

"The fact you think I should be able to makes me feel stupid. Like I'm missing something." She scowled at the window.

"I expect you to figure it out from context, Holly. When we get there. Not now." He stopped, studying her for a moment before getting up. "I'm going to have lunch sent out, and I think I'm going to have something to drink with it. Do you have a preference?"

Holly glanced at him. From the way his eyes glittered, she knew he didn't mean just any drink. "I don't do alcohol, Artemis."

"Why not? You're legal." He crossed his arms.

"Barely." She rolled her eyes. "And I just don't like it."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"Of course I have. I just don't like it," she repeated, looking irritated.

"Mm…" He shook his head. "We'll see." He walked out of the room before she could argue.

Holly turned back to the window, resisting the urge to smack it. He was so frustrating and appealing and a bazillion other things at the same time. She didn't know how to react most of the time.

After a few minutes, he came back in, joined by a server laden with several trays. She laid out their food on a table that sprang up at a push of a button (courtesy of Artemis, of course) and left quickly.

Holly looked at Artemis as he sat down on the opposite side of the table. He set a tall, dark bottle and two champagne glasses down. She glared at him, but he just smirked.

"I'm not drinking that," she told him as he filled both the glasses halfway.

"You are going to at least try it." He stoppered the bottle again, not sounding the least bit concerned with her protests.

"Not interested." She sat back, crossing her arms.

"The thing is that you are." He pushed the glass across the table to her. "And you're resisting because once again you want to believe and trust in what you grew up knowing, especially the things your father told you." She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to protest, but he continued without giving her a chance. "I know just by the little time I've spent with you he's practically made you a carbon copy of him, Holly. And I know that before now you've never had any reason or want to doubt him. But we both know that you're starting to see the reasons you should. And here's a start."

"Just because my dad isn't a drunk doesn't mean I'm averse to alcohol because of him," she snapped. "I do have a mind of my own."

"Oh really? And please tell me what you've done that's averse to everything he put in your head." He quirked an eyebrow.

"I slept with you, didn't I?" she growled, then stopped and blushed abruptly.

Artemis laughed. "Fair enough. I can only imagine how he'd have reacted to us if he only knew what I just did to you on the way there or what I had in my pocket." He grinned, taking a sip from his glass.

Holly flushed deeply, eyeing her glass. "Well…" she sputtered, "The point is I have my own thoughts and opinions. And I've never liked any alcohol I've tried. Plus I'd rather have my wits about me for this 'surprise' you insist on." She put air quotes around the word.

"I didn't say get drunk, Holly." He sat forward. "I said try it. And that's the one order I'll give you. A, because I'm certain this is higher quality alcohol than any you've ever had, and B, because you need to relax, and this will help." He crossed his arms. "Don't make me force you."

Holly glared at him. Some part of her wondered if he'd actually force her, but she also didn't really want to know. She sighed, pulling the glass towards her slowly. "Fine. With the meal. One glass."

"Fine." He shrugged, starting to eat. "Do it however you like. Just do it."

Holly picked up her fork and started eating, putting it off for a few minutes. She'd always heard it was better not to drink on an empty stomach anyway.

Artemis drank his, watching her openly. The legal drinking age in Ireland was 18. She was only 19, but still… by her resistance, he guessed either she hadn't drank before and was scared to, or was resisting because of her father in some way. There were other possibilities too, but he doubted any of them. Either way, she needed to have a mind of her own and at least try it before passing judgement.

Holly hesitated as long as possible before sighing, eyeing the glass warily as she brought it to her lips. She took a small sip. It had the texture of sparkling water, but it tasted almost fruity, hints of citrus and honey in the flavor. She swallowed it and made a face at the aftertaste. "It's not bad," she conceded. "But I don't like it."

"Fine. If you say so. But at least finish the glass." He took another sip of his for emphasis.

She rolled her eyes, finishing eating and begrudgingly drinking the wine. She hated to admit it, but she didn't feel a bit better after the drink, whether she wanted it or not.

She pushed the glass and plate away, leaning back in the seat. "How long do we have now?"

Artemis glanced at his watch. "About an hour."

Holly nodded, turning around and staring back out the window, looking down at the tiny dots of color and the huge clouds around them. "Okay." She wanted to ask again where they were going, but she knew it was fruitless, so she didn't.

He smiled, grabbing their plates and taking them out of the room. The table sank back into the floor, and he joined her at the window.

"Did seeing him help at all?" he asked quietly, taking her hand.

Holly looked at him, then down at their hands. She nodded slowly. "I think so. I didn't get to say too much to him, but… he's knows I'm alive, and he's okay, and that's enough for now."

Artemis nodded, kissing her hair softly. "Well, I can't take you home for the holidays, as much as I wish I could. It would be suicide on my part."

She looked up and half-smiled. "Yeah. I know. I'm amazed things went half as well in that brief time."

"There wasn't anything he could do. Not his ground, no backup, and no plan." He shrugged.

"I think he realized something was wrong, but not exactly what."

"I'm sure he did. He's a smart man." He leaned back in the seat, looking out the window. "Either way, he couldn't have done anything about it, so it doesn't much matter." He paused, looking her over as she stared out the window again. "Hey." He took her by the chin, turning her head. "Come on. Don't start zoning off on me again. We're going to have fun. That's what this is about."

Holly bit her lip and nodded. "Alright. You're right. I'm sorry."

"Doubting me again?" He grinned darkly at her. She rolled her eyes.

"No. Doubting myself." She sighed, stretching and standing up. The jet rocked slightly as she did, and Artemis steadied her with his hand. "What-"

"We're landing." He pulled her back down on the seat.

"We're here?" She turned to the window, but all she saw was open field. "Where are we?"

"At the helipad. It's only a few minute drive to our destination." He smiled at her excitement, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet when they landed. "Come on."

Holly didn't resist, letting him lead her off the jet and out into the open field. She took a deep breath. It was cold, colder here than at headquarters, but there was still no snow yet.

Artemis grinned at her, pulling her away from the jet to where a car was waiting on the other side. This time when they climbed in there was no divider, and she recognized the driver when he glanced at them. "Butler?"

"The one and only." He smiled at her as he put the car in gear, and she smiled sheepishly back. She had seen him only briefly since being busted, the few times he'd popped in to talk to Artemis. He'd never blatantly ignored her, but he hadn't talked to her either.

"Is everyone else arrived, Butler?" Artemis asked, pulling her close to him.

Butler nodded. "We're all here, but there's still plenty to do."

"Excellent." He smiled at Holly when she looked at him. "Ready for the first part of your surprise?"

"Yes." She smiled back, nervous but excited.

He squeezed her gently, looking out the window. After a moment, he grinned and pointed out the front window. Holly looked in that direction and gaped.

They were approaching a castle. It was huge and stone, isolated from every other structure by expansive grounds and woods. It was blocked by a set of gates, but they opened as they approached.

"Where are we?" Holly demanded, turning to look at Artemis, who was watching her silently. He smiled, not answering for a moment as the car came to a stop.

He climbed out, and Holly followed. He pulled her close, putting an arm around her shoulders and approaching the giant front entrance to the castle with a grin. "This is my family home." She looked up at him, and he looked down at her, still grinning wickedly. "Welcome to Fowl Manor, Holly."

"This… this is where you live? It's like a castle!" She looked around openly as he lead her towards the double doors.

"This is where my whole family lives. Or did, anyway." He shook his head, opening the door and going in. It led into a huge foyer. Painting and doors lined the seemingly never ending hallways that veered off. There were stairs to their left and right, but Artemis ignored them, walking down the hall and turning into a living room.

The room looked like something festive had exploded inside it. Boxes of decorations lay everywhere, people milling about among the mess. Holly just had time to spot Juliet and Mulch across the room when two little boys came running up to them.

Artemis was almost knocked away from her by the force of their hugs as they jumped into him, chattering excitedly before ever making contact. Holly could barely make out any words with how quick they talked. They both seemed to be pretty young, and they were almost exactly identical except for one had a head of blond curls while the other had dark ebony hair like Artemis.

Holly smiled. Obviously, these were Artemis's brothers. She turned away, intending to leave him with them for a bit and go talk to Juliet, but he caught her arm.

She turned, and he gestured for her to kneel to their height with him. She crouched beside him. "Boys," Artemis interrupted their chatter, "This is Holly."

Both boys stopped, staring at her openly with wide blue eyes. After a minute, the blond haired child spoke. "Who are you?"

The dark haired one spoke before she could answer. "Obviously that's Holly, simple-toon," he told him bluntly.

"But where'd she come from?" The blond haired child looked at Artemis. He simply smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Holly's a good friend of mine, Beckett," he told the blond child. "She's going to be with us for the holidays this year."

"Really?" Beckett smiled. "Okay! It's lots of fun! You can help us decorate and bake and come to the party and-"

"Beckett," Artemis cut in softly. "She will. Just relax. Why don't you go play for a bit while we get settled in?"

"Okay, Arty!" Beckett ran off.

The dark haired child looked at him, then back at Artemis. "Any luck yet?" he asked quietly.

"No. You know I'll tell you if anything changes, Myles." He ruffled the boy's hair. "Go play with Beckett and don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay." Myles sighed, then ran off after Beckett.

Artemis looked at her, smiling softly. Holly smiled back. "Arty?" she asked teasingly, poking at him.

He chuckled, pulling her close and starting to lead her out. "My mother's nickname for me. The boys have picked it up, and I haven't quite told them to stop." He sighed. "My father's was Timmy."

Holly nodded, looking down. "So...this is it?"

He glanced at her. "Yes. Are you happy?"

She smiled. "Ecstatic. It sounds like it will be great fun."

Artemis grinned, pulling her up the stairs. "First of all, you're not ecstatic, and I won't make you be until tonight. And second…" He opened a door, going inside. A quick glance around told her it was a bedroom - his bedroom, most likely. He released her and walked away, heading towards his closet. "It is great fun. Tonight and tomorrow we'll decorate and bake, and the next night we'll have a party like we do every year on Christmas Eve, and then we'll spend the Christmas together as a family like we always do." He looked back at her. "I know it's not your family, really, and I know it's not the same for you, but I do hope you enjoy yourself. This is the best I can give you, as much as I hate that."

Holly blinked, approaching him and putting her hands on his shoulders. "Artemis, this is… amazing, honestly. I really don't know what to say except that I didn't expect this and I appreciate it more than you can begin to realize. This is more than deserve, and much more than I ever expected."

Artemis smiled. "So you're really happy?"

"Of course I am." She kissed him gently. "I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He sighed, running his hands down her sides. "Come on. Let's get a shower, then we can go down and start helping."

"Shower… together?" She looked at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes. It's quicker that way. Besides, I want to be the one to clean you up." He smirked at her.

Holly bit her lip against a smile back. "Okay. If you really want to."

"Good." He took her hand, pulling her into the adjoining bathroom.

She followed him willingly, raising an eyebrow. "Is it really quicker this way, though?"

He rolled his eyes, but still smirked as he started the water. "Come now. Taking a shower together doesn't mean we have to have sex."

"It implies it."

"Well, I'm stating that we're not, because we have other things to do." He looked at her pointedly. "And if we get started, we may be in her the rest of the night, so we just won't." He took off his jacket as he spoke.

"I see."

Artemis turned to her, pulling her scarf off slowly. "Oh, don't sound so disappointed, darling. We do have a thrilling night ahead of us." He smirked at her.

The reminder of her promise in the car made her shudder slightly, but she didn't take it back. "You're not going to tell me what you're going to do now, are you?"

"Of course not. It's no fun that way." He threw the scarf on the sink and then paused, studying the mark he'd left on her neck. He touched it lightly. "Does this hurt?"

"Not badly." She shrugged, watching him. He almost looked a little guilty for a moment before the look disappeared and he dropped his hand.

"Good." He reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it into the nearby hamper.

He stripped her the rest of the way and kissed her, then sent her into the shower. After a minute, he stepped in behind her.

She turned to face him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head back under the water and closed his eyes.

"You told me you couldn't make a commitment to me. So why did you bring me here to meet your family?" She bit her lip, running her hands through her hair to wet it. They were both easily standing under the water as it sprayed from multiple showerheads, and the chamber was almost more of a pool, although it was nothing compared to the tub that was outside.

Artemis sighed, not moving. "Why do you ask me hard questions all the time?"

"I'm sorry. I just…" she shrugged. "I'm grateful, and it's not that I'm not happy about it, I just don't understand. You could have kept me in lockup and gone about your life. This whole time, honestly."

"Is that what you want?"

"Of course not, but-"

"Stop it, then." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Holly, I knew what I was doing when I did it, and I still do, okay? I know how stupid this probably seems. In my head, I know it's stupid. And if you want me to be completely honest…" he shrugged. "You make me not care. And the fact that I intend to let you go makes trying to hide anything a moot point anyway. So the best I can do is trust you, which I do, implicitly, whether I should or not." He paused, taking a shuddering breath and looking down. "And I know what I told you. It's true. But the fact that I can't commit to you right now doesn't mean I don't want to. And I promised you what I can give you for now, and at this point in time, this is it. You already know the people I live with on a daily basis. And as for blood family, my brothers are it right now. So that's all there is to it."

Holly stared at him, chewing her lip. "Oh. I see." Again she couldn't think of what else to say. "Well… thank you."

"Thank me by not asking so many questions and enjoying your time," he muttered, closing his eyes and tilting his head back again.

"I don't like to be in the dark." She shrugged, reaching for the body wash on the side of the shower. She squirted some in her hands, looking at him.

He opened his eyes. "I've figured that much out." He took the bottle from her, shaking his head as he set it back down. "But sometimes it's better that way." He took her hands, wiping the bodywash into his own.

"Hey!" She pouted. "What are you doing?"

"So many questions." He rubbed his hands together and ran them through her hair, soaping it up. He scrubbed her hair thoroughly, then grabbed the bottle again, getting a bit more and starting to lather her body.

"And I've figured out that you are a bit of a control freak," she muttered, sighing slightly as she watched him wash her.

"That much I won't deny." He smiled, rubbing her down quickly and effectively. Her body rose to his touch, but he didn't even attempt to do anything more than clean her gently before standing up and rinsing off his hands. "But I'm the only one smart enough to actually control everything, so can you blame me for wanting to?"

"Yes," she told him bluntly. "It gets irritating."

He laughed, pulling her more directly under the water so she could rinse off. "Fair enough. But so do your constant questions."

"I wouldn't ask constant questions if you kept me in the loop."

"Somehow I don't believe that." He reached for the bottle again, but she snatched it first.

"I think it's my turn." She squeezed some into her hand again.

"If you insist." He lowered his head so she could reach it better, and she lathered his hair and washed him the same as he had her.

When they were both clean, they got out and went back into the bedroom. Her suitcase was on his bed when she came out, and she went over to get clothes as he disappeared into the closet.

He came out in blue lounge pants and a longsleeved white shirt a few minutes later. She was brushing her hair at his dresser, having thrown on black leggings and a green crewneck sweater.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw him. "You look so different out of a suit."

"Bad different?"

"No. Almost younger. Less serious." She shrugged, throwing her brush in her bag. "Ready?"

"Mhm."

He took her hand and they went downstairs to join the rest of the family.


	20. Chapter 20

**Wow... this story is getting up there. This chapter and next are packed full of surprises and drama, so be ready!**

 **Also, it's about over! We won't make it to 30 chapters - I'm estimating maybe to 26 right now. It may change slightly, but 30 is definitely peak. I already am plowing away at the end chapters, so enjoy it while it lasts.**

20.

Everyone was already busy when they went back downstairs. Short as she was, Holly got thrown in the kitchen to help Juliet cook while Artemis and Butler helped with the decorating. The boys ran amok in the midst, sometimes helping and sometimes playing or doing other things.

It was nice to talk to someone besides Artemis for the first time in a while. He was a little intense and controlling, and she hadn't talked to Juliet for real since the day they went shopping together. It seemed like so long ago.

They talked for hours as they put together a multitude of dishes. Holly wasn't a great cook, but under Juliet's instruction she didn't screw anything up.

"So," Juliet started, as they were kneading the dough for more pastries. "Are you happy to be here?"

"Of course I am. This is a little bit crazier than what we do at home, but…" she shrugged. "I'm just glad to be here at all."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I'm really sorry about the whole planting-information thing, and all the lies between us." Juliet looked at her, sighing slightly.

Holly nodded, looking down at the dough. "Believe me, I wasn't happy about it either. At first I went into it thinking that it would be okay, because you were all criminals, and I hate people like you, and I wouldn't have to deal with Fowl, and then… I got there, and everything was different." She chuckled slightly and shook her head. "None of this is anything like what I expected. From you guys to him to what you do." She shrugged helplessly.

Juliet nodded. "I get it. And we know what we do isn't necessarily right, but… we all have our loyalties, and we all do what we have to to survive. Right or wrong, it just… is." She sighed.

"I know." Holly looked down. "Can I ask you something that's been bothering me?"

"I can't guarantee I know the answer, but shoot."

"The LEP had it drilled into my head that Fowl was extremely dangerous. They kept telling me how he was an international threat and all these other things… but I don't see it. I just don't understand. Is what you guys do really that bad?"

Juliet frowned. "Well, you have to understand that a lot of the reputation he has around the world came from his father before him, not him. We're not murderers or something, Holly. But he does have power, and he's not afraid to use it. And he is technically an international threat. His power extends that far, and most of his heists are outside of Ireland."

Holly looked at her, frowning slightly. "He told me he's hired assassins and made people disappear. Killing is killing whether it was him directly or not, Juliet."

Juliet's brows furrowed. "Well, of course it is, but that's not strictly true. You can make people disappear without killing them. And I know Fowl Senior had a few hired assassins, but Artemis has never used them."

Holly blinked. "Really? So he's never actually-"

"No. No deaths on his hands. Artemis doesn't have the stomach for that, believe it or not. And it's not strictly necessary the way he runs things anyway." She shook her head.

"I see." She couldn't help being surprised by this, but even still it made her happy. She had a hard time picturing Artemis as a killer anyway.

"Yeah. Anyway, this is a dark topic. Let's talk about something else. Did he tell you what he got you?" She reached for the fruit filling.

"Got me?" Holly frowned slightly, taking a bowl as Juliet passed one to her.

"For Christmas."

"I wasn't even aware he got me anything," she muttered, slightly displeased. She had no way to get him anything, and even still, he'd done enough for her already.

Juliet seemed to notice this. "Hey, don't be like that. You'll love it. I mean, it wasn't the kind I would have got you, but there's some symbolism in it, and it's so sweet-"

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Holly interrupted her.

"No. That'd ruin the surprise." Juliet shot her a look like she was stupid.

"Then I don't think I want to hear this." She finished the batch of pastries she was working on.

"Fine then." Juliet stuck her tongue out at her as there was a knock in the doorway.

Artemis came around the corner, walking over and sitting beside her at the table. "Having fun?"

"Juliet is teasing me," Holly told him. He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, and the girl just shrugged. He chuckled.

"I see. Are you about ready to turn in then?"

She thought about it for a minute, looking over what was left. Juliet waved her off. "You just finished that batch and there's only enough left for one more. I'll finish it."

"Alright." Holly went to the sink, washing her hands and getting all the dough and various fruit juices off her hands. "I'll pop these in the oven then and call it a night."

She dried her hands and stuck her last batch of pastries in the oven, then let Artemis take her hand and lead her out after waving goodnight to Juliet. It was good he'd stayed, because she had no idea how to get back to his room.

"How was decorating?" Holly asked as they walked upstairs.

"Fun as always." He rolled his eyes. "How was cooking with Juliet?"

"I'm not the greatest cook, certainly, but she was helpful, and she provided me with some nice insight."

"Did she now? On what?" He smirked at her as he opened the door for her.

"I'm not telling you that." She went inside. "If you were supposed to know I'd have asked you."

"I see." He closed the door, walking in and flopping down in the bed. "Well, unfortunately for you, darling, I'm a bit tired. But don't think I won't hold you to your promise another night."

Holly raised an eyebrow. She took off her crew neck, leaving her in just her tank top and leggings, then threw it over the back of the bed and laid beside him. "I thought I was the one who was scared and you're copping out on me?"

Artemis chuckled, pulling the blankets over them. "I'm not copping out, and I'm certainly not scared. I'm just too tired to properly torture you tonight." He grinned at her, then kissed her hair as he laid down beside her. "I forgot how exhausting the holidays are."

"Me too." She smiled, snuggling against him. "Artemis?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything. This is almost better than having been home for the holidays." She looked at him.

He smiled, kissing her softly. "You're welcome, Holly." He pulled her closer.

They fell asleep like that, snuggled up in each other's arms.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next few days blew by at an alarming rate. Holly helped do everything from cooking to decorating to cleaning to setting up for the party. It was like she was a part of the family and had been for years; she was smoothly integrated into everything.

It was the day of Christmas Eve and the party before Holly realized she was actually expected to go to it and she had nothing to wear. Luckily, Juliet was prepared for this, and she presented Holly with a longsleeved emerald dress that was long enough to barely sweep the ground as she walked. It looked and fit like it was custom made, but Juliet refused to tell her whether it was or where she'd got it.

That night, Juliet pulled her into her room to get ready. As she wasn't a party person and had no idea what to expect for one as fancy as this, it was honestly a relief to be bossed around as they were getting ready.

Juliet took most of it into her own hands, and Holly was honestly okay with that. She helped her into her dress and did her hair for her, styled into small ringlets either pinned strategically up or left loose in a half-up-half-down look. She wasn't incredibly happy with the idea of the makeup when Juliet brought it out, but submitted under the assurance that the girl was a master at it and that it was necessary to complete the look.

Holly assessed herself in the mirror when she'd finished. Her eyes were painted glittering gold, her complexion flawless, and her lips were painted bright red, all thanks to Juliet's masterful handiwork. She had to admit it looked good, especially with the dress, which she was certain had to have been custom made even though she had no idea how the girl had done it.

"You look amazing," Juliet promised, squeezing her shoulder. "Just promise me you'll stay close to one of us all night. This party is going to be packed full of family associates, and...well, I don't need to spell it out for you. They're criminals. And they're not all as nice as Artemis."

Holly nodded. "I know. But I can take care of myself. I was doing it long before you guys came along."

"Not on this level. Just promise me."

Her irritation was dimmed by the real concern in her voice. Holly sighed. "I promise, but I'm sure Artemis won't let me out of his sight all night anyway."

Juliet smirked, satisfied by her promise. "I'm sure he won't after he sees you."

"Ha ha." She waited on Juliet to finish getting ready, then followed her out.

The music was already started as they descended the stairs, and at least a hundred people were already milling about the open floor. Holly glanced at Juliet nervously, but it dissipated when the other girl pointed out Artemis approaching the bottom of the stairs.

He took her arm as she stepped down beside him, pulling her close. "You look lovely," he murmured in her ear, squeezing her gently. "Almost too lovely. Be sure you stay close to me."

"I've already got this lecture from Juliet," Holly told him, rolling her eyes.

"Well, she's right, and I'm deadly serious. These people range from murderers to sex traffickers and worse, and if you leave my sight for two seconds I will go ballistic." He shot her a warning glance, looking more serious and blatantly scary than she'd seen him look since the day he'd pulled her into his office. She cringed slightly.

"Okay," she muttered, looking away.

"Good." He looked away and she thought she heard him swear before uttering darkly, "Exhibit A is approaching."

A man in a dark suit was approaching them. He was thin, shorter than Artemis, and was probably wearing as much as her father had ever made in gold accessories. He had a giant man at his shoulder, much like Butler, but otherwise bearing no resemblance. He and his bodyguard both had dark looks about him, seeming distinctly greasy and evil in a way Artemis never had.

Almost before she thought it, Butler materialized behind them, his bulky form taking its place at Artemis's shoulder. As if she needed more proof this man couldn't he trusted.

"Little Fowl!" The man came up and took Artemis's hand, shaking it eagerly. "How good to see you again! This place looks fantastic, as always." Even his grin seemed oily and evil.

"Mr. Spiro. How's business at Fission Chips going?" Artemis smoothly transitioned into conversation despite his obvious distaste.

"Aw, its great. We're getting good business right now, and my side jobs are doing wonderful things." He grinned at them, looking from Artemis to Holly. "Who's your lovely friend?"

Artemis tightened his grip on Holly, as if afraid he'd reach out and try to grab her. "This is Holly," he said, almost stiffly.

"Ah, Holly." Spiro took her hand, brushing his lips over her knuckles. "Lovely to meet you. You look exquisite tonight."

She resisted the urge to cringe away from him and nodded once. "Thank you."

"Perhaps turn down the charm a bit, Spiro. She is with me." Artemis smiled stiffly at him, then glanced over his shoulder, his eyes locking on someone behind them. "Well, it was nice seeing you. Take care." He steered Holly away, and Butler melted back into the crowd.

Holly released a breath as they walked away. "He was…"

"He is a prime example of what I warned you about. He's a businessman with ties to the mafia that he's not afraid to use. He's a slimy character." Artemis made a face, still leading her across the floor.

"Who did you see?" Holly asked, looking to see who they were heading towards.

"No one. I just wanted to get you away from him." He took her to a table and handed her a drink, taking one too. He downed half of it in one gulp. "He's a slimeball."

"Surely he's not the biggest one here."

"Of course not, but I despise him." He sighed, looking around.

Holly looked around too, not saying anything. She recognized a few faces around the crowd - criminals her father had talked about, or that she'd been taught about - but then suddenly she noticed someone that made her heart stop. She grabbed Artemis's arm. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Artemis followed her gaze. "Turnball?" he asked, sounding almost surprised.

"Yes, Turnball!" Holly looked at him. "That's…"

"I'm aware who he is. Haven't you ever heard the saying that my enemy's enemy is my friend?"

"That's Root's brother!" Holly growled. "He knows me!"

"How could he possibly know who you are? You're a rookie." He frowned at her.

"My dad isn't." She glared at him.

"I see. So you've come into contact before?"

"Just when he tried to kill my dad." Holly glared at the criminal, and Artemis groaned slightly.

"Holly, please. You're not here as a cop." He turned her head back to him. "Just don't talk to him."

"The fact you threatened me if I leave your sight is the only thing keeping me from killing him." She closed her eyes.

"That bad?"

"Worse." She gritted her teeth. "Can I please go back upstairs? I don't think I can handle this."

"Yes, you can." He sighed, pulling her close to him again. "You'll be just fine."

"Artemis, I-"

She stopped, catching the movement out of the corner of her eye and turning to look. Turnball had turned towards them, and she was instantly certain he saw her. She opened her mouth to warn Artemis, but he was in front of them almost instantly.

"Master Fowl." Turnball inclined his head, his eyes fixed on Holly. "I don't recall the invitations stating there would be cops at the party."

"She's not a cop, Root. You know that." Artemis pulled her closer, pretending to not notice the face she made when he called Turnball by his last name.

"Do I now?" He frowned. "The look she's giving me says otherwise."

"You tried to kill my father!" Holly growled. "And Julius!"

"Someday, child, you'll realize they're both snakes." He paused, looking her over. "How did you possibly end up here?"

"That's none of your business!" Holly snapped before Artemis could answer. He tightened his grip on her warningly before she could launch herself at him, sensing she would if she had the chance.

"That just proves my point, doesn't it? It was my brother, wasn't it?" He shook his head. "Poor child. Your life is over before it even begins."

"I made my choices," she told him, seething. "Not my dad, and certainly not Julius."

"I hope you'll remember that when the time comes that he puts a bullet in you." He nodded to Artemis. "Best get the cops out of here before the party dies." He disappeared into the crowd.

Holly tried to go after him, but Artemis held fast to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. "Would you behave?" he hissed in her ear.

"He knows things that he shouldn't know!" she snapped at him. "Didn't you hear what he said?"

"I've already told you I'm not going to hurt you," he snapped back, growing exasperated. "Why can't you trust me?"

"It's not about that! Why do you think he said that? He knows somehow!" She swung around in his arms, putting her hands on her hips.

Artemis sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Of course I understand that, Holly, and it displeases me too, but there's nothing I can do. With who he is, I can hardly blame him for keeping tabs on LEP business."

Holly bit the inside of her jaw to keep from arguing. On the inside, she couldn't help seething. They were all criminals, sure, and she probably should have expected something like this, but even still, it made her mad. Turnball was the last person she expected to see here, and the fact that he knew things he shouldn't know made her sick with worry and anger. How did he know that stuff? She was under the impression this was all classified to the point it shouldn't have even been in the computer for him to hack. He almost had to have a rat in the LEP somewhere.

She turned away, pulling away from him. "I'm going back upstairs."

"It hasn't even been a half hour, and I don't want to let you out of my sight." Artemis reeled her back to him. "It's too dangerous."

"You really think? Or is this more about the fact that you actually trust me as little as you think I trust you?" She pulled away, harder this time. She couldn't help starting to get mad. Everyone was treating her like she was a child, and after a certain point it felt less like they cared and more like they were just afraid she was going to run off. Not to mention the fact that her cop instincts that she'd spent years honing were screaming in this mass of criminals. If she saw the face of one more person that the LEP had spent years chasing just roaming around without a care in the world in here, she was going to completely lose it. "Well guess what, Artemis. I'm not a child, and I can't switch personalities and turn off or play with emotions the way you do. So what I told you wasn't fake, or lies, and if I wanted to escape, I'd have done it last night when I had the chance, or weeks ago when I went shopping with Juliet. And I can't help that after years of ingraining, being in a room packed full of criminals like this makes me want to go beserk. Especially ones that I have personal history with." She spat the last part, turning away from him. "So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get out of it for a bit." She took off then, disappearing into the crowd before he could answer.

She pushed her way through the crowd, pushing off reaching hands that tried to grab her or get her attention as she headed for the stairs. She heard Artemis calling after her, and knew she'd probably be getting a lecture later, but she could hardly be bothered to care at the moment.

Somebody grabbed her arm and latched on, and she swung around, assuming it was Artemis and ready to fight. Instead, she was surprised to come face to face with someone else she knew.

Julius Root.

It all came to her at once. Suddenly, she knew exactly what the trap was and what was going to happen. What happened at the club wasn't actually about trusting her at all - it was springing a trap.

He opened his mouth to speak, and she cut him off, panic flooding her system. "What the hell are you doing here? How many of you are there?"

The commander frowned at her. "Good to see you too, Short. And you know this is classified. Just me, Trouble, and the Major. We had Foaly on com links, but they went down as soon as we came in."

"Of course they did! It's a trap!" She looked around frantically, trying to spot her father or Trouble. She could hardly believe that Julius would have picked someone as inexperienced as him - he was only a year out of the Academy, two years older than her. Then again, he'd probably picked him strictly for his connection to her - having shared a common goal to become officers and their closeness with families and age, they'd practically grown up together. He wouldn't do anything to endanger the mission because of her.

Root rolled his eyes. "It's not a trap. He has no idea we're here. This is dangerous, sure, but it was worth the risk to get any more information that we can. With your tips, we're getting somewhere, more so than ever before, but we're still falling short of catching him. He's here, isn't he?"

"Yes, but good luck ever catching him." She looked around again. She couldn't see anyone she knew, Artemis included. Her chest ached dully at the thought of anything happening to any of her friends or family - whether it be the criminals or the ones she grew up with. "I can't tell you anymore than what I knew before," she told him. The lie almost hurt to say, but the thought of something happening to Artemis burned more.

Root looked unconvinced, but he didn't comment on it. "Is it Fowl? The real Fowl?"

Holly nodded. "Yes, but-"

"Senior or junior?"

She gulped. "Look, Julius, it's complicated, and I-"

She was cut off as someone grabbed her again, pulling her away roughly and spinning her around. Artemis shook her, not even seeming to notice his family's longtime enemy a few feet away. "Was there some part of dangerous that you didn't understand?" he almost snarled.

She blinked in surprise. "Artemis-" she started.

He waved her away, pulling her towards the stairs. "Why do you have to be so impulsive all the time? Did the words "house full of criminals" not mean anything to you? For someone who was such a wreck about it earlier, you're taking it awfully lightly!" He still sounded mad.

Holly set her feet into the ground. "Why didn't you tell me the truth?" she demanded.

Artemis whirled around to face her, crossing his arms. "What are you talking about?"

"About this party! And about the trap!"

The criminal scowled at her. "I don't know what you're talking about, but-"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You set this whole thing up!"

"Holly, do you hear yourself?" Artemis scoffed, running his hands through his hair. "My family hosts a Christmas party every year. It's that simple, and it has nothing to do with the trap. If I had realized how much it would bother you-"

"Then why are they here?" Holly exploded. "Why did you set it up so they could tail us?" She had no proof that that was what happened, but it was the only thing that made sense. Somehow they'd tracked their movements from the casino to here.

"What are you talking about?" Artemis stared at her.

"You didn't know?" She stared back at him blankly. She'd been so sure… "Didn't you see who you just pulled me away from?" She spun around again, looking around, but Root was already gone. "He was here! Just now! When I saw him, I thought…"

Artemis let her trail off, not speaking. His mind was spinning furiously. Was it possible they were tailed? It almost had to be the case if they were here, unless they somehow figured out either who he was or that they might find him here, simply at the party, as just about every notorious criminal in Ireland was here tonight.

Despite how irritated it made him for her to have jumped to conclusions, he had to admit the thought process was logical to anyone who didn't know his actual plan. Planting it in the LEP's head to infiltrate a building full of known criminals… well, he almost wished he'd come up with that before. All he had to do was bring attention to the fact the LEP were here, and it would be a massacre instantly.

Not that he intended to do that. It wouldn't get rid of his problem - people could always be replaced - and besides, he didn't have the stomach for cold slaughter. They were just doing their jobs, as was he - even if they were pesky. And now, knowing what they were to Holly… he wouldn't have been able to do it anyway. The actual trap, like he'd said before, was intended to be harmless - just a little scare to show the LEP he could get to them, whether they thought he could or not. It was still intended to be days away. But it might not be necessary now.

Holly was still staring into the crowd, searching for a familiar face. Artemis sighed, rubbing his forehead. "How many of them are there?"

"Three. This is all classified. Only people who know me and wouldn't endanger me by giving up the mission." She didn't turn to face him.

He made a face behind her back. Why did she have to be so connected? Everything would be so much easier if they stopped throwing people with personal connections to her into the mix. "Well," he said at last, "We need to get them out of here. So we have to find them, figure out what they came for, and then get them out without turning the whole crowd on them."

"How?" She turned to him.

"Simple. How do you think Julius found you as soon as you walked away from me?" Artemis grabbed her arm, pulling her to him roughly. "You're being tailed." He started pulling her through the crowd and up the stairs again.

She scowled, letting him drag her along. "I hope you know that hurts. And what does that mean?"

"That means wherever I drag you along to, they'll show up eventually. So we simply have to get out of the crowd and make them show themselves."

He dragged her into the conference room on the second floor, pushing her into a chair. She blinked up at him as he rounded the chair, pulling it out and squeezing her shoulders. "Don't panic when they come in."

"What?"

"Just trust me. Please."

Holly hesitated. Their conversation earlier weighed on her mind, but then her assumption a few minutes ago had been wrong, so maybe it was best she just stopped and listened. She nodded.

"Alright. And what do we do now?"

Artemis looked at her. "Now… we wait."


	21. Chapter 21

**So this chapter is full of action and surprises... cuz it's Christmas! :P also, side note, I finished this story over the weekend and there's only three chapters left! It's full of feels too, so... watch out.**

21.

Artemis paced the length of the conference room urgently as they waited for the LEP to turn up. Holly didn't dare move from the chair. She didn't know what he was planning, but she got the feeling she wasn't going to like it one bit.

It didn't take long, although with both of their anxiety levels through the roof it felt like hours. In reality, it took about ten minutes - long enough for them to meet up and regroup before going in.

Artemis was smart enough to pick a room with only one entrance and far enough away from the party they wouldn't be disturbed. It meant that it took them a few minutes to pinpoint their exact location and determine how to go in. These minutes were excruciating from the inside.

"Can you please stop pacing like that?" Holly asked, a little exasperated. "It's making me more anxious."

"You should be anxious," Artemis muttered, but he stopped, turning to face her. "They can't know about our relationship, especially if they know who I am. If they figure out that your cover is blown, I'll have to think fast for a reason to keep you alive. To tell them," he added quickly at her startled look.

"What are you going to do?" She looked at him, swallowing around the sudden lump in her throat. She was really scared, but whether for herself, Artemis, or the LEP officers, she wasn't honestly sure.

He fixed her with a dark look, then away, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know yet. I won't know how to handle it until they get in here and I can determine what they know. But I know you're not going to like it." He paused, licking his lips. She could practically see the gears turning in his head. "Promise me you're not going to fight me."

"What?" Her heart rocketed into her throat.

"You heard me." He looked as serious as she'd ever seen him. "Promise me."

"Tell me what you're going to do."

"You know I can't do that."

"Can't or won't?"

He took a deep breath. His normally bright blue eyes seeming dark, a plea hidden somewhere in the depths. "Holly, please. Don't make this harder. I will tie you up if I have to."

"What? Why? Why can't you just-"

The door opened, and Artemis was instantly back at her shoulder. Holly's mouth snapped closed, the rest of her sentence lost as Root, Trouble, and her father filed in slowly.

Holly looked at Root briefly, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, his focus solely on Artemis. Trouble nodded at her, trying to look reassuring and tough at the same time. Her father simply looked between her and Artemis, obviously thinking.

"Gentlemen." Artemis's business-like demeanor was back, all traces of warmth and the man she knew gone in an instant. She felt herself shiver slightly, instantly feeling cold inside at the sound. "To what do we owe this surprise?"

Julius inclined his head, looking briefly at Holly. "She hadn't filled you in?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

The tension was thick, and Holly closed her eyes for a moment, unable to look at any of them. Her loyalty was being questioned out in the open, and she had no real idea of where it truly laid.

"You know you shouldn't be here," Artemis told them. "Walking into this place would be suicide if anyone dared notice you."

The commander pressed his lips together. "I don't have much time for thinly veiled threats, Fowl. So maybe you should get to the point."

Artemis chuckled darkly. "Finally figure out who I am, did we? Took you long enough." He laid his hand on Holly's shoulder. "It only took her a few days to figure it out. If the rest of the LEP functioned on her level my party would be much smaller."

Christopher looked ready to explode when he touched her, but he knew better than to do anything. Holly could see in his face he was bursting to see if he knew, but was afraid to give her away if he didn't. "What's this about, Fowl?"

"Why don't you tell me? You're crashing my party, as they say." He raised an eyebrow at him.

There was silence for a long moment as they sized each other up. She could see them weighing what they were going to say, deciding how much to reveal. Finally Root sighed and broke the silence. "Fine. Let's stop acting like you don't know who she is and that she was working for me. Why isn't she dead?"

Everyone but Root and Artemis flinched at the bluntness of the question. The criminal just chuckled again. "Because she makes some awfully good leverage, don't you think?" He tugged her hair back by a handful of curls, running his fingers down her jawline. "And she's just so fun to have around."

Chris let out a sharp breath, and Artemis chuckled. "Makes you anxious, doesn't it, Daddy?" he mocked coldly.

He growled slightly, starting to step forward, but Root held up his arm to stop him. The click of metal on metal was almost masked by his growl as Artemis pulled a blade from his pocket, tugging Holly's head back even further, barring her throat. "I wouldn't do that."

Holly closed her eyes at the feeling of the metal against her throat, holding her breath. Inside, she was chanting at herself to trust him, but her instincts were screaming to do something, anything, even though at this point there wasn't anything she could do.

Chris muttered something unintelligible, and Trouble spoke for the first time. "You're not going to kill her. She's the only thing standing between you and us."

"Very good, Kelp. That's very true, at the moment," Artemis admitted. "But that doesn't mean I won't hurt her. So you have about five seconds to start talking, get it over with, and get out, or I will cut her open."

"Alright!" Root shook his head. "You win. We just hoped to be able to talk to her, since you ought to have been otherwise occupied, but it's obvious that's not going to happen."

"Obviously," Artemis said coldly. "I keep better tabs on my prisoners than you might have thought. Now you know. I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Next time I won't be as nice."

"Fine. Our mistake." He gritted his teeth. "We'll leave." He waved the two subordinates towards the door.

Chris glanced from his boss to Holly to Artemis, narrowing his eyes. "What are you going to do with her?"

Root shot him a look, but Artemis just shrugged. "She's going to stay under lock and key with me just as she was before until this is all long over. Another misstep, and believe me when I say you won't find her like this." He looked over them all warningly. "If you do anything this stupid again, or I find any hint of surveillance, I will hurt her. Badly, if I have to." He ran the knife down her jawline. "Don't worry. I won't kill her. I'll make sure you getter back eventually - I even promise to send any missing bits back with her." He smirked darkly. "Now get out of my manor before I let the whole room of your enemies know you're here and eliminate any further issues."

Root nodded, pushing his officers out of the room. In an instant, they were all gone.

Artemis made sure they were gone before pulling away. He walked over and closed the door, leaning heavily against it for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his head still resting against the door.

Holly straightened her neck slowly, rubbing it silently for a long moment before answering. "Did you mean all that?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

He took a shuddering breath, stepping away from the door and turning around. "Don't ask me that right now, because I don't know." He closed the knife and put it back in his pocket.

"Where did you get that from?" Holly asked, nodding to his pocket.

"I always keep one on me. For emergencies."

"This qualifies as an emergency?"

"It did." He ran his hands through his hair, suddenly looking exhausted. "I need to go back downstairs. Make sure they're gone and wrap things up."

Holly nodded. He sighed, walking over to her and pulling her to her feet. They stared at each other for a moment before he suddenly pulled her in, squeezing her tightly. "I'm sorry," he muttered into her hair. "We can talk about everything later. I'll take you back to my room, go back down for a few minutes, and I'll be up shortly."

She just nodded again, at a loss for words. He lead her from the conference room back to his room, sending her in and locking the door. Too emotionally exhausted to be frustrated, she flopped down on the bed and was instantly unconscious.

She didn't know how long she was asleep, but she bolted back up in the bed at the sound of the lock clicking open. She blinked the sleep from her eyes as Artemis pushed open the door.

He sighed slightly as he closed the door and locked it again, walking over to the bed and lowering himself down next to her slowly. He looked exhausted, even more so than before, even more than he had the day he'd been out all night dealing with his mother. And what's worse was the look he was giving her, almost cautious, as if he expected her to be afraid of him now. It was really irritating, especially because of the way her heart irrationally started to beat when he got close to her, making her throat feel closed off.

"Don't look at me like that," she told him, forcing the words out around the lump in her throat.

"Then don't look at me like a scared animal."

She shook her head, cursing herself internally. "I'm not." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

Artemis sighed, getting up again. Despite herself, she felt herself relax slightly at the distance. It was stupid, completely illogical and irrational, but she couldn't help herself. He walked away, stripping off his suit jacket and laying it over the foot of the bed. "I'm sorry, Holly. That's… really all I can say."

"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have doubted you. But when I saw him… and I thought… just like you said. It would have been too easy." She couldn't bring herself to speak in more than a whisper.

"I know." He rubbed his face. "And it makes total sense, in retrospect. I almost wish I'd thought of it before." He smiled ruefully at her. "Perhaps I should have been honest with you, and just told you everything earlier, but it's just… hard for me. There's a certain dependence in that, a lot of trust, that I just… couldn't give you. Or anyone, for that matter." He sat on the corner of the bed again, far away from her this time. "Not that it matters now. I wanted to make a point, and I did, so everything else is moot besides what I've already told you."

"So that trap…"

"No longer exists. Or it won't in the morning, anyway. No one is going to answer my call at this time of night." He sighed again, running his hands through his hair.

Holly swallowed hard. One part of her ached to go over to him, comfort him, but it was held back by another part that remembered his earlier words all too well. "Artemis… what you said-"

"I already told you I don't know, Holly." He held his face in his hands, not looking at her. "I just… I don't know. At an earlier time, with a different person, I wouldn't have hesitated. I set out with the intention of getting my father back, no matter what the cost. But now… I don't know." He dropped his hands into his lap, sitting up and look at her. "I don't want to hurt you. But I also desperately need to put my family back together." He looked down. "Maybe I should have just let you go with them and abandoned this whole venture."

"No." Swallowing down her fear, she crawled across the bed and put her arms around his shoulder from behind. "I don't think so."

"You don't?" He looked back at her, looking almost slightly bemused.

"No. You've put too much time and work into this. Besides, I'm here, and… if I wanted to go with them, I'd have done it days ago." She bit her lip. "I didn't want to go."

He relaxed slightly, smiling up at her. "Really?"

Holly smiled back, and the ache in her chest eased slightly. "Really. Besides, if I left now, I'd never know what you got me for Christmas." She ruffled his hair and moved back to the top of the bed.

Artemis blinked in surprise. "How did you know-"

"Juliet told me." She grinned at him.

"She didn't tell you what it was, did she?"

"No. She just teased me about it." She looked at him. "Are you going to tell me?"

"No." He shrugged. "You'll see tomorrow."

"You don't think you could give me a teeny, tiny hint?" She pouted.

"No." He moved back up beside her and laid down.

"Why not?" She stretched out beside him.

"Because you would figure it out instantly." He sighed, closing his eyes. Holly looked at him, ready to speak again, but he cracked an eye open and shook his head. "Please don't, Holly. It's 2AM. Let me sleep. You'll know first thing in the morning."

"Fine." She sighed and settled down next to him. "In the morning then." She closed her eyes.

"Thank you," he muttered, his voice already thick with sleep. She curled into him, and together they went to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

They both slept late into the next morning - for Christmas, at least. But the boys wouldn't let it go for long, desperate to have their brother and open their presents. It took both Butlers to hold them off until 9 o'clock before finally letting them in to wake them up.

Holly jolted awake as the boys launched themselves onto the bed, cackling and yelling. "Wake up wake up!" they choruses together, crawling across the bed.

Holly blinked and sat up, rubbing her head. Artemis groaned and sat up next to her, pushing the boys away. "Alright, alright. I'm up."

"Come downstairs so we can open presents!" the blond - Beckett - demanded. Myles nodded beside him, not speaking but clearly also excited.

"Alright." He rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn and ruffling Beckett's hair. "Just let us get a shower real quick and we'll be down. Ten minutes, tops."

Beckett pouted, but Myles nodded, pulling him off the bed. "Ten minutes, and then we're starting without you!" And like a flash, they were gone.

Artemis looked at her, sighing and shaking his head. "I suppose we should hurry, shouldn't we?" He got up, offering her his hand.

Holly hesitated, running last night's events through her head. She almost had trouble connecting this Artemis with the one she'd seen last night - the one willing to cut her throat versus the one who slept with her and was so kind with his brothers. She pushed the thoughts away, taking his hand.

They showered together quickly and got out. Holly dressed nicely in dark, well fitting jeans and a black turtleneck sweater, running a brush through her wet hair and calling it good. Artemis wore dress pants and a white shirt, but didn't go full-suited. She smiled at him when he came out of the closet, and they headed downstairs together.

Everyone else was already gathered in the sitting room, chattering and waiting for them. The boys were sitting in front of the tree, waiting not-so-patiently to be able to start. Artemis entered first, pulling Holly down on a couch beside him, and gestured to the boys to start. They did immediately.

Holly leaned into him as they watched. "Yours isn't under there," Artemis murmured in her ear, taking a cup of coffee Butler offered him and handing one to her.

She took it and took a huge drink, shuddering slightly. "Then where is it?" She looked up at him curiously.

He smiled. "It's here. But I couldn't keep it under the tree. That would have been a bit barbaric." He nodded to Butler, and the giant man walked out of the room.

"Where's he going? And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Two seconds and you'll see." He sipped his coffee, giving her a knowing look.

She bounced slightly in her seat, waiting. Artemis didn't say anything, leaning back and watching his brothers, tapping his foot intermittently. After a few minutes, Butler came back in with a small black box. He set it on her lap.

She looked at it quizzically. It was big enough it took up most of her lap, but not big or incredibly wide or deep. The oddest thing was it seemed to be peppered with holes. She glanced at Artemis, but he simply raised an eyebrow at her. "Open it."

Holly looked back at the box, biting her lip. Her hands shaking slightly with excitement, she pulled off the lid.

Something small and furry and white immediately popped out, staring at her with big brown eyes. Holly gaped.

It was a puppy.

Holly picked it up and hugged it immediately, pulling the bow off its collar and tossing it away. It was tiny, all white, and couldn't be more than a few weeks old. She looked at Artemis, still unsure what to say.

He grinned at her. "Surprise."

"I don't even know what to say," Holly told him honestly.

He laughed, sipping his coffee again. "Just say you like it."

"Of course I love it! Who doesn't love puppies?" She looked down, and the dog licked at her face. She smiled, but it faded slowly. "What am I going to do with it?"

He frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." She looked at his brothers, unwilling to say anything they might overhear.

He sighed, reaching out and petting the puppy's head. "Let me deal with that. I've already got it under control." He paused, glancing at her for confirmation and taking the puppy. "So. It's a boy, and it's an American Pit Bull Terrier. Purebred, of course." He scratched its chin. "I chose this one because it was the runt, and no one else wanted him because he's white, which are not normal pitbull colors. He'd likely have been put down, if he didn't die naturally first."

Holly nodded, chewing her lip. She loved pitbulls; they were simply highly misunderstood dogs. She suddenly understood what Juliet told her about a metaphor and smiled. "I love him. And the fact he's a rescue makes it all the better."

"Good." He gave him back, smiling softly. "You have to name him, you know."

"I know. I'll think about it." She smiled at him. "Thank you. I love it."

"So I hear." He touched her cheek. "I know it doesn't make up for how much of a bastard I was last night, but…"

"You did what you had to. I don't blame you." She hugged the puppy to her chest, looking at him. "If it were my dad...well, I can't say. But I have no right to say anything." She looked down.

"Of course you do. But I'm glad you understand." He sighed, pulling her closer to him. She laid across his lap, propped up on the couch's arm, petting the puppy quietly as he watched his brothers open their presents.

As holidays do, the rest of the day passed in a blur. Holly carried the puppy everywhere with her as they had meals and she played with the boys and a billion other holiday activities took place. The animal seemed content to sleep in her arms most of the time, and she let it, carrying it around like a baby.

That night, they went back to the room, and Holly let the dog run loose as she relaxed and changed for bed. They'd spent the whole day in family company - every kind of family. Holly spent a lot of time catching up with the guys she hadn't seen since being busted, eating, and enjoying herself in general. Artemis was always around somewhere, but he wasn't attached to her, which made her feel a bit better. She didn't feel like she was constantly being babysat anymore.

She was just coming out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in comfy pjs, when Artemis came back in. The dog ran up to him immediately, wagging it's tail excitedly. It was clear somehow he'd made time to take care of it while he'd been hiding it from her, despite rarely ever leaving her side.

Artemis knelt down to pick up the puppy, raising an eyebrow at her. "Did you think of a name for this furball yet?"

Holly shot him a look, walking over and taking him. "I'm still thinking. Everyone has suggested a bunch of names, but I haven't really liked any of them. None of them seem to fit him." She sat on the edge of the bed.

He walked over and joined her, reaching over to scratch the pup's chin. "So what are you thinking?"

Holly looked down, contemplating the animal. "Casper."

He looked at her, uncomprehending for a moment. After a moment, an amused smile turned up the corners of his mouth. "Casper? Like... Casper the friendly ghost?"

"Don't judge me! He likes it, doesn't he?" She nodded to his wagging tail, unable to keep a grin from creeping on her face.

"You have to have something else." He shook his head, grinning too. "Anything else."

"Juliet suggested Bear."

"Bear would be a good name for him. He's going to be a monster when he gets older." He stopped scratching his chin, but didn't pull his hand away, and the pup rested his head in his hand, looking at him with big brown eyes.

"Don't say that!" Holly scowled at him. "Don't tell me you're prejudiced too."

"Absolutely not." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I just meant he's going to be big. Not mean."

"Good." She rolled her eyes, leaning down and pressing her face into the animal's fur. "I hate stupid, uninformed people. It makes me so mad."

"Like your father?"

"How did you-"

"You would only react so defensively if this is a common argument." He shrugged, then stood up and stretched. "So you're really holding firm to Casper?"

Holly sighed and nodded. "I think so. He's white with dark eyes, and everyone is going to be afraid of him without reason, I'm sure. I think it's fitting.

"Whatever you'd like. He's yours." Artemis yawned, running his hands through his hair. "I'm going to get a shower. We'll have to leave again first thing in the morning, so you'd best get some sleep."

"We do?" She frowned. "Why?"

"Because we can't stay here forever. Besides, the longer we're here, the more my family is in danger, now the LEP knows. They need to go back to their safe houses and we need to go back to ours." He smiled tiredly at her. "Don't worry. It's all almost over by now."

"What?" Holly squeezed the puppy tighter. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said. The shipments are all scheduled to come through within days of our getting back, and any day now I expect my contacts to call me and tell me everything is in place." He sighed heavily. "It's almost time to do this."

Holly looked down as he went into the bathroom silently, staring at the puppy in her arms. What he said had hit her hard. She hadn't realized until now how little time they actually had left. It was the end of December - the end of the month. Their time was almost out. Because despite him not having said it, it wasn't like she didn't know. If it was almost time for his plan to go through… then it was almost time for her to go home.

She pushed the thought away. She'd had a good day, a good time here - she wasn't going to let anything ruin her night, not this late into it. They still had time. They were happy now. That was all that mattered.

That thought in mind, she laid down, newly named Casper curled up beside her, and went to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Only two chapters left...**

22.

It seemed like everything was happening all too early and too quick the next morning. Artemis woke her up and told her to get dressed, taking Casper and stuffing him into a pet carrier. Holly groaned, getting up and throwing on some clothes, almost still half asleep. When he came back in the room, he offered her a travel cup of coffee, which she gratefully took, then took her by the elbow and lead her out of the room.

"What about our stuff?" Holly asked groggily, taking a long drink of her coffee.

"Already taken care of. You sleep like the dead." He guided her down the stairs. "All that's left to do is load up and go."

"What about the boys?" She looked up at him, chewing her lip.

He sighed. "Already gone. I took care of it first thing this morning. I didn't want them to stay here any longer than was necessary."

Holly nodded, looking down. "I can't imagine what it must be like for them to stay away from home for so long. Who are they with?"

"Family." He pushed open the doors, leading her down the steps to where the car was waiting for them again. "And they'll be home soon. Just not until it's safe again."

She nodded, climbing in the car. He settled in next to her and opened the carrier, letting Casper out to roam in the backseat with them. The puppy sniffed around for a minute, then climbed back into Holly's lap, sitting down and watching them with his dark, intelligent eyes.

Artemis sighed, rubbing his face. "We'll probably have to wait to eat until we get back to the hotel. I don't want to risk going into the casino again right now."

She nodded, looking down and letting Casper slowly. "I understand. Better safe than sorry."

"Right. We have some snack stuff in here and on the jet though." He shrugged, settling back in the seat. Holly leaned against him, still petting the dog.

They didn't speak much the rest of the way to the hotel, transferring from the car to the jet and back to the car at the casino. Most of the time they slept, having a lot of sleep to catch up on after the past week, curled up together in the back seat.

By the time they made it back to the hotel, it was early in the afternoon. Artemis went in and started making them food, as neither had actually eaten anything and both were starving. Holly sat in the kitchen with him, watching as Casper roamed around, sniffing and exploring.

They didn't talk much. At this point, neither of them could think of much to say. Imminent departure was hanging over their heads, and neither of them really wanted to talk about it, even though they both knew they should.

Artemis finished cooking and set out their food. Casper came back in, smelling the food, and sat at Holly's feet. She smiled and rolled her eyes, already feeling how this would be a regular thing. She cut off a piece of chicken from her plate and passed it down to him.

Artemis was staring off into space when she looked up again. She sighed, reaching over and taking his hand. "What's wrong?"

He blinked, his eyes snapping back into focus. "Nothing. It's just… we only have a few days left. And I'll have to spend most of it putting the finishing touches on everything." He looked down at his food. "When this is over, I'm probably going to have to disappear for a while. And with your father and the LEP knowing who I am, the likelihood I'll be able to contact you at all is… slim."

"You mean nonexistent."

"No, not certainly. But it won't be for a while, at least." He sighed, squeezing her hand. "I just… want you to know that I'm sorry, at least. For everything. And if we do meet again, I hope it's better circumstances than this."

Holly swallowed hard, stabbing a piece of chicken harder than strictly necessary. "Do we have to have this talk now?"

"Yes. Because I'm sure the next time I see you for anything length of time again will be on the jet over there, and I don't want to run out of time." He looked at her. "And… while I promise you I will get you home, it may not go smoothly. You need to understand that."

"Why?" She looked at him, and he looked away, unable to meet her eyes. She frowned at him, the look on his face making her stomach twist. "You already know how this is going to end, don't you?"

He closed his eyes. "Not for sure, but the LEP is proving to be resourceful, and with some of the information they now have… it's likely they'll figure at least some of my plan out. If they show up, things are going to get messy."

"Messy how?" He didn't answer. "Artemis, seriously!"

"I promise you that everyone will make it out in one piece. That's the best I can give you." He looked at her. "I need you to trust me, Holly. It's not a definite thing, but it's possible they could show up and throw a wrench in things."

Holly looked down, back at her food. Suddenly, despite being starving before, she wasn't very hungry anymore.

Artemis looked away. He knew she was upset, and she wasn't stupid - she knew what the situation would be if they showed up. He didn't like it anymore than she did, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

She started to get up, and he caught her arm, pulling her back to him gently. He kissed her, and she kissed him back, desperately, pulling him closer and almost to his feet. He disconnected gently from her, standing up and giving the dog what was left of their food, then kissing her again.

Artemis pushed her against the table, kissing her deeply and holding her hips against it as he leaned over her. She closed her eyes, panting slightly and holding on to him as he moved his lips from her mouth to her neck. "Artemis?"

"Hm?"

"Just… promise me we'll get to be together as much as possible, these last few days." She tightened her arms around him. "And that this is real."

Artemis pulled back, looking down at her with dark eyes. "Of course this is real." He ran his fingers through her hair. "Holly, I've told you things that I've never told anyone, held you in a way I have no one else, and I… I care about you. A lot." He swallowed hard. "And if you think for a minute that I'm not going to spend every moment possible with you until I can't any longer, you're crazy."

Holly nodded, sliding her hands under his shirt. "Please don't get hurt," she whispered, looking down. "I don't think I could handle it. I need you. I care about you, too. I think I love you." She met his eyes, biting her lip.

Artemis smiled gently, pulling her close and kissing her hair. "I know. And I love you, too. But having that hanging between us doesn't change anything. I can't give up and be with you now even if I wanted to, because the LEP know. And believe me when I say I do want to… but I need to put my family back together more."

"I know." She pressed her face into his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of him. He smelled ashy, almost, and like a mix of tea and coffee, as he drank both constantly. She closed her eyes.

Artemis held her for a moment, holding her tightly, then pulled back. Her eyes were wet, and he wiped them gently. "Come on." He took her hands, lacing his fingers into hers. "Come to bed with me."

Holly nodded, leaning up and kissing him briefly before letting him pull her away.

oOoOoOoOoOo

They spent as much time together as humanly possible over the next few days. Artemis was in and out a lot - organizing things, ensuring everything was going as it should and putting the finishing touches on everything. When he wasn't working, they were wrapped up in each other in every way they could be, just trying to be together as much as possible. Cooking, playing chess, playing with the dog, talking, eating… anything they could do together, they did, and as many times as they could.

Holly hated every time he left, and hated what it meant, but she was glad she wasn't alone anymore, at least. With Casper there, at least there was no more eerie silences, and she was able to find stuff to do easier. The pup had dark, intelligent eyes, and she couldn't help feeling like he understood a lot of what was going on. She wondered if Artemis had specifically tried to ensure that trait or if it just happened.

Artemis was sadder about everything coming to an end than he should have been. He was certain his plan would work, and even if the LEP showed up, he had multiple routes of escape in place, so he had nothing severe to worry about. He really didn't want to just let Holly go, especially if he had to hurt her to ensure it happened. But he knew he had to. Keeping her here was hurting her too, and he wouldn't let her stay with him, not like this. There was still too much to do, and he didn't want to have her be in constant danger, or be unable to see her family again. Despite how well she hid it, he knew that was killing some part of her on the inside. It was her family, whether it was good for him or not.

Finally, one night, he came in late, looking ragged and exhausted but satisfied. Holly looked over at him from where she was curled up on the bed, Casper asleep against her legs. She was obviously half asleep herself, but had tried to stay up for him. He smiled tiredly at her as he slid in bed.

She leaned against him, looking up at him. "It's time, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Artemis nodded, pulling her close. "It's time," he confirmed quietly. "We leave bright and early in the morning."

There was silence for a minute as they stared at each other, neither quite sure what to say. A million words were stuck between them, neither of them able to force them out.

Holly finally spoke, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Artemis."

He closed his eyes, kissing her hair softly. "I love you too," he murmured. She closed her eyes, curling closed to him.

They all fell asleep together for the last time.


	23. Chapter 23

**Next to last chapter... it's finally time. Are you crying yet? I was all the way through the end.**

 **Speaking of, the feels in this chapter and next are killer. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

23.

The next morning, Artemis woke her up very early. He smiled at her when she opened her eyes, though it was already tinged with sadness.

"I know it's early, but I thought you'd like to be able to get a shower and eat before we leave," he told her quietly.

She nodded, sitting up and stretching out her tired muscles. Casper stirred as she moved, lifting his head and looking at them with bleary eyes. She patted his head and got up, stumbling sleepily into the bathroom.

Artemis followed her, carrying the sleepy puppy in his arms. He was already dressed. "I'll go downstairs and make us some breakfast to go. Don't be too long."

She nodded, getting in the shower silently. She wished she could hide out here forever, but she knew she couldn't. It was time to face reality, whether they liked it or not.

She showered quickly and dressed in the clothes left on the bed for her. Obviously he'd just left her an outfit, as her bag and things had already been taken out. The thought made her stomach flip. It really was all almost over.

She put on her jeans and a shirt, throwing on her jacket and boots and going downstairs. After a long minute, she steadied herself and went downstairs.

Artemis was already waiting with her food when she went downstairs. Holly looked around as she settled down to the table. "Where's Casper?"

"I had Butler take him out." Artemis sat next to her, rubbing her back softly as she ate.

Holly glanced at him. "Why do I feel like you're already comforting me for something that hasn't happened yet?"

"Because I won't be able to do it after." He smiled sadly at her.

"What is it you're planning?" She took a bite, looking at him with as much suspicion as she could muster. If she was being honest, she knew it was pointless. She didn't know exactly what he was planning, but she knew what she was there for, and if it came down to it, she knew she'd get hurt. And right now, she only had the energy to fight down the emotions already pushing up her throat. She refused to let them get the best of her until this was over.

Artemis just gave her an expressionless look. "Don't ask me that. I can't tell you until we get there what exactly will happen, but even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. You'd worry about it the whole way."

"That's true enough. But I'll still worry the whole way without knowing."

"I know. But trust me when I say it's better this way." He squeezed her shoulder and stood up. "Finish up. We need to leave soon."

She nodded, looking down at her food and starting to eat again. Artemis moved around between rooms, cleaning up and making sure everything was in its place. It was obvious he didn't intend to come back here, at least for a long while.

When she finished, he cleaned up her plate, washed it, and put it away with the rest. He sighed as he closed the cabinet and looked around the pristine but empty-feeling room.

Holly walked over and hugged him silently, and he held her close to him for a long moment before pushing her back gently and taking her hand. "Come on." He pulled her out of the room.

Together, they walked out into the living area, looking around. The fire was out, enormous blinds were drawn over the glass wall, and everything looked untouched as if they'd never been there. She looked at Artemis, and he smiled a melancholy smile at her. "I know. But it needs to be this way. I won't be back here for a while. Servants will come in and clean everything up for real after we leave. They'll be no sign we were ever here." He sighed, turning to the front door. "It's time to go."

She followed him out silently, letting him lead her out to the elevator and down, out of the building. She glanced back one last time as they got in the car, then turned away. Artemis kissed her hair and held her silently.

As with all things that are dreaded, everything seemed to go by so fast. The car ride that had been so long before felt like seconds in comparison. When they got on the jet, everyone else was there, and Holly nearly cried then at the sight of everyone.

But then the conversation started. They talked about anything and everything but the mission they were flying towards. About the holidays, about their families, the weather, their favorite things, anything but what they were about to do.

Holly joined in the conversation constantly. She felt like if she stopped talking for a second then everything would finally hit her, and she wouldn't be able to help breaking down. So she sat beside Artemis, holding his hand with one of hers and petting her dog with the other, and talked to Butler and Juliet and Mulch until they were out of things to talk about and the conversation turned to stupid things just so they could keep talking about something.

Eventually, day turned into night around them, and the jet finally began to slow.

Holly turned to Artemis, about to speak, but he pointed out the window. She looked down, her eyes widening at the sight.

"Le Tour Eiffel," Artemis murmured in her ear, his accent flawless.

"The Eiffel Tower," Holly repeated in English. She looked at him. "We're in Paris?"

"Touching down just outside of, actually. We'll drive to our destinations separately." Artemis stretched and sighed.

"Separately? We're not all going to the same place?" She looked at the others.

"Two heists, remember?" Artemis nodded to Juliet and Mulch. "Those two have a bank safe to break. We are heading to a museum."

"Oh." Holly frowned, looking down. Casper seemed to sense her emotional turmoil, and he licked her cheek, pressing his wet nose against her neck. She sighed, patting his head. "I forgot."

"I know." Artemis squeezed her shoulder as the jet touched down. He took a deep breath and stood up. "It's time to go."

Everyone else started to file out. Artemis stood with her, waiting. "What do I do with him?" Holly looked at her puppy, biting her lip. He looked at her with big, dark eyes.

"He stays here for now. He'll be home by the time you get there, I promise."

She nodded, pushing him off her lap and onto the seat beside her. She stood up. "Stay," she told the puppy. She almost choked on the word as emotions rose in her chest again.

Artemis squeezed her shoulder, leading her off the plane. "I know it hurts," he whispered in her ear. "This is killing me too. But please try to hold it together until the end. For me."

Holly nodded, swiping her eyes as they exited the plane. Two dark cars sat outside, waiting for them.

Juliet hugged her tightly as soon as she was in reach. "I don't know what to say to you," the girl admitted. "But...thank you. And be safe. I know we'll see each other again."

Holly nodded, squeezing her tightly back. "I think so too. Please be safe. Don't get caught."

The girl flashed her a grin so reminiscent of her brother she didn't know what to say. "I won't. Promise." Then she climbed in one of the cars.

Mulch grinned at her. "Don't worry, kid. We're experts. You won't be seeing either of us on the news." He paused, looking a bit more serious. "Take care of yourself, alright? I'll see you around."

Holly nodded. "You too, Mulch."

He nodded and climbed in the car with Juliet, and they sped off into the night.

Only Artemis, Butler, and herself remained. Artemis squeezed her hand. "Butler's with us. Are you ready?"

Holly looked back towards where the other car had been, but it was long gone. She took a deep breath. "Yeah. I think so."

He nodded, and they all piled in the car. Holly leaned against Artemis as they sped away, trying desperately not to think. She stared at the back of the seat in front of her, fixating on it the whole ride over.

Artemis squeezed her hand as the car rolled to a stop several minute later. "Holly?"

She looked up at him, biting her lip. He tugged it free from her teeth gently. "No matter what happens in here… I love you."

Holly blinked back tears and nodded. "I love you too."

He smiled, kissing her deeply and gently before pulling back, sliding out of the car and pulling her with him. They slid into the night silently, and the car pulled away. Artemis turned to her again, pulling something from his pocket.

"I really hate doing this, but one way or another you're not going with us, and it's important to keep up the charade." Artemis took her wrist, kissing it softly, then snapped on a handcuff around it.

Holly looked away. She wanted to resist, but she knew there was no point. She turned and held out her other arm, letting him snap them in place behind her back.

"Alright." He squeezed her shoulder, then handed her off to Butler, who took her arm firmly but gently as Artemis lead the way around the building. Holly and Butler followed silently.

With the ease of practice, Artemis began disabling the security on the building, level by level as the entered. Some of it was done with panels of buttons and locks on the building itself; others he remotely disabled through the phone. Holly could only watch in slight amazement as he passed through the museum's security system as if it were a child's puzzle.

Unbeknownst to them, but just as Artemis suspected, when he started disabling the security, the LEP, who were surveilling all the major art museums and banks in Europe through a team set up there, were immediately alerted. The first sign was the cameras going off, and then the layers of security went down one by one.

Root, Chris, Foaly, and Trouble were still the only ones with clearance to even know what was going on, and thus, they were still the only ones who knew. With the general timeframe and information she'd given them and what they could piece together, they'd been in Europe since the day after Christmas, working with the authorities, watching and waiting. Now it was paying off.

They headed towards the museum as Artemis made it inside. He knew what he was doing and what he was looking for her, and he'd made it into where he needed to be and was working on the painting in no time.

Holly stood slightly to the side and watched as Artemis worked his magic with aid from Butler. She pressed her lips together. "Is this really what all the hype was over?" she asked in a whisper as he managed to remove the painting.

Artemis glanced at her briefly, his eyebrow raised. "This is a Claude Monte painting, Holly. It's worth hundreds of thousands of euros. And my buyer is paying double the value for it."

"Why do they want it?"

"I don't know and I don't care." Artemis carefully pulled out the copy of the painting and started the tenacious process of replacing it. To her eyes, it looked identical.

She shrugged. "Fair enough."

They were silent the rest of the time. Artemis was just finishing up when there was a loud bang from above.

Holly jumped, but neither of them even looked surprised. Artemis and Butler exchanged a glance, then Artemis quickly finished sealing the painting back into place and grabbed Holly by the arm, pulling her into the middle of the exhibit.

"What are you-"

"If they don't see us by a specific painting they won't know what we were in here for. They likely won't ever know, if you don't tell them." He stopped, looking at the stairs and waiting for whoever was coming to approach. "Do you remember what I told you?"

"Which part?"

Artemis looked at her and smiled softly. "All of it."

She bit her lip and nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Good. No matter what, I love you. And I will come back for you eventually."

The sound of footsteps grew closer, and they both looked at the stairs. As expected, it was her father, Trouble, and Root who came down.

The commander was leading the pack. All three of them had their guns out and ready. Holly gulped at the sight.

Artemis squeezed her arm. "Just the three of you?" he called to Julius. "I thought I got more respect than that."

"You get enough "respect" that no one else is allowed to know about this, so yeah. Just the three of us," Root replied. His eyes flicked briefly to Butler, then Holly, then back to Artemis, taking it all in. "Why don't you let Holly go and turn yourselves in?"

"For crimes I didn't commit?" Artemis shook his head. "I think I'll pass." He nodded to Butler without looking away from them. "Go. I'll be out."

Chris turned his gun immediately, and Root clicked his own gun threateningly. "Move, and we'll shoot."

Time seemed to slow to an exaggerated rate. She'd expected it, but the click of the knife made her flinch nonetheless when he opened it, pressing it against her side. "Try it and watch me bury the knife in her ribs," Artemis hissed.

Holly closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Root growled impatiently. "We've already been over the fact you're not going to kill her. Don't insult us with empty threats, and certainly don't bring a knife to a gun party."

Artemis grinned at him. "I think my knife will be quite effectively to hurt her with, thank you. And I wouldn't be so sure. I don't exactly need her anymore, do I?" He raised an eyebrow at him. "Go, Butler."

Root growled again. "Don't make me shoot you-"

"Did you miss the memo?" Artemis scowled. "In the time it took you to get here, everything I needed to do as been accomplished. You're not stopping anything. Either I can give you little Short back in one piece, and I'll escape, or you shoot, I'll hurt her, and I'll still escape. Make a choice."

The silence was tense as Root contemplated his move. Artemis hesitated. "Holly?" he murmured, the word barely a breath in her ear. "I'm sorry."

Instantly, as if by some telegraphed signal, Root turned and went to fire without a word. Artemis drove the knife into her ribs, and Holly gasped, buckling to her knees as he released her and pulled the knife free.

It was a peculiar sensation, being stabbed. As if her body were prepared for the pain, it didn't hit her full force. All she felt was pressure at first, but the tearing sensation as he ripped the knife out brought reality home.

Gunfire ripped the room around her, but she buckled, tears in her eyes as she hit the ground. She longed to see, to know what happened and if they'd gone, but it was all so quick and she just… couldn't.

Julius and her father were at her side almost instantly. Trouble ran after Artemis and Butler, but was back within seconds. "They got away," she heard him say as if from a distance.

Her father was holding her up as Root picked the lock on her cuffs with years of expertise. She just leaned into him, breathing shallowly to regulate the pain, her vision blurry. She was losing blood quickly, and her chest was filling with a strange, compressing pain. Breathing became harder.

"We need to get her to the hospital. Now," her father was saying.

Root agreed. Her jacket was gone, somebody tying something around her ribs. It hurt like hell, like her side was on fire, and the pressure only made it worse, but she knew better than to resist and didn't have the strength to even if she wanted to. "Dad?" Her own voice sounded wobbly and far away, even to her ears.

"Right here, Holly." He lifted her up. She whimpered weakly.

"Did you... get either of them?"

Christopher scowled deeply. "No. The big one took a direct shot, but he must have been wearing Kevlar because he didn't even flinch. They both got away unharmed."

Holly nodded, feeling relief fill her chest even as it became more physically compressed. It was over, all of it, and she desperately wanted to lay down and sob with relief, but she couldn't stay conscious long enough.

Still holding on to that thought, that everyone else was okay, so it was all worth it, she blacked out on the way to the hospital.


	24. Chapter 24

**Last chapter! Watch out for those feels!**

 **Also, the sequel is in progress, but it's not going up until I get some reviews! So you all better let me know what you think and if you want it at the end! :)**

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Holly groaned, opening her eyes slowly. She gasped slightly at the pain in her chest and side, then winced again, moving her hands to it.

A hand grabbed hers, and she turned to look, her heart thundering. The monitor she was attached to started whining, then slowly stopped as she settled down.

Her father pulled her hand away from her side slowly. "Touching it is just going to make it worse. I wouldn't do that."

She looked around, taking in the monitors and the IV and the oxygen she was on. It was fading into evening outside a window. "How long was I out?"

Chris frowned slightly. "Well, you started to come to several hours after being worked on, but we had you sedated again. It was just easier on you that way. So it's been a few days."

"I see." She bit her lip. "So what happened?"

"Your lung collapsed, Holly." He sighed, standing up. "The wound itself isn't serious - he didn't hit anything important. But it created a one-way tunnel for air into your body, and the pressure collapsed your lung. That's part of why I decided to keep you under. It was a nasty process to reinflate it."

"Oh," she murmured. "So… it's okay now, right?"

"Should be. We've been weaning you off oxygen slowly, just so your lungs didn't have to work so hard, but you'll be free of it by the end of the day." He sighed. "You'll just need time to heal, that's all."

She nodded. "And what about Fowl?"

Chris turned, fixing her with a dark look that almost answered for him. "He's gone, Holly. Long gone by now. Did you know there was two crimes going on at once?"

Holly hesitated, then nodded. Chris sighed. "Well, he got away with both of them. This whole thing was supposed to be top secret, so we're hard pressed to even share anything from it with any other intelligence agencies. And the crimes will have to remain a mystery. At least until we can catch him and get a confession." He rubbed his face.

"You're not going to catch him, Dad," she said quietly. "He has backup plans for his backup plans. He's a genius."

Chris didn't answer, looking away, towards the open window. "You don't know where he went, do you?"

"Me? No. He said he was going to hide out and lay low for a bit, but nothing specific." She took a breath, testing out the pain level. It was fair, but she'd had worse.

He turned around, surveying her. "How much contact did you have with him?"

"What?" She frowned at him.

Her father held up his hands. "Julius and I discussed, and we just wondered if you might have Stockholm Syndrome."

"I don't have Stockholm Syndrome," she snapped. "And...I did spend a lot of time with him, but trust me when I say it's not the kind of information you need." She looked away.

Sensing her sensitivity, he didn't press. "Alright. Fine." He paused. "I'm going to get myself something to eat. I'll send the nurse in to get you something too since I assume you're hungry. We can get out of here tonight, assuming you don't go into cardiac arrest for no apparent reason." He smiled at her, his eyes lined with exhaustion. Holly just nodded and let him leave.

The day passed by in a blur. Doctors were in and out, removing her oxygen, IV, monitors, and tubes all throughout the day. Her father booked them two ferry tickets, as they weren't allowed to fly, and by that night they were set to leave.

Walking was painful, but not excessively difficult. She refused to take a wheelchair everywhere; she didn't want it nor did she really need it, so she made them save it for someone else.

Her father had bought them two tickets for that evening, and booked them a cabin so she could rest. Flying would have been much quicker, but they didn't want to increase pressure on her lung again, so the 17 hour boat ride across the channel was the only option. Holly slept for most of it, exhausted. Sleeping was the only thing to help her escape the pain at the moment.

They made it back to Ireland around midday. The ride home was quick in comparison, leaving them at early evening when they arrived.

It was good to be home after what seemed like so long again. Holly walked into the house and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

Her mother was on her before she could open them again, hugging her and demanding to see her side and going on and on. Chris pulled her away gently and calmed her down as Holly settled into the couch.

Something small and white came barreling out from the kitchen and leapt into her lap.

Holly winced from the pain, unable to keep from grinning as the puppy licked her face excitedly. "Casper!"

"Where the hell did that thing come from?" Chris demanded.

Coral smiled at Holly, and in that instant she got the feeling her mother knew before even talking to her exactly what had happened and where the dog had come from. She knew they'd be having a talk later, but she didn't care right now.

"It doesn't matter," Holly said quickly, hoisting the pup against her good side as she stood up. "I'm keeping him."

Her father scowled. "If you think you're keeping a pit bull from god-knows-where in my house-"

He stopped abruptly when Coral hit him in the ribs, looking at her with a dark look. They glared at each other for a minute before Chris finally gave in. "Fine," he muttered darkly, turning towards the stairs. "I need a shower."

Holly smiled at her mom when he disappeared up the stairs. "You are going to tell me everything, right?" Coral asked seriously.

"Of course. Just… don't tell dad, okay?" Holly bit her lip. "And… not today. I'm exhausted still."

Her mother nodded. "Tomorrow, then. While he's at work." She hugged her daughter again, then petted Casper's head. "Go get some rest."

Holly nodded, carrying her puppy and heading up the stairs to bed. She stopped short when she got in her room.

All of her stuff was lying neatly in a pile at the foot of her bed. She sighed, closing the door and putting Casper down. She went over and opened the bag, rummaging through it. Everything appeared to be there… along with one other thing. A note.

Holly pulled it out, her hands trembling slightly. Artemis's elegant scrawl was drawn across it.

 _Dearest Holly,_

 _Yes, I was the one who dropped off your things, and yes, we all made it out fine. I'm questioning whether it was worth it, but I got my money._

 _I'm truly sorry for what had to happen back there. If you want the truth, I had intended it all along, because I knew the LEP would find a way to show up. There was no better option. I hate myself for what I did, and if you despise me too, it's completely understandable._

 _But I did promise you I would come back for you. And I will find a way to, eventually. If you hate me, when that time comes, then I'll leave you alone if you want me to. I just want you to live and be happy. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself._

 _Be safe and happy. Heal well. And please take care, of yourself and Casper. I will sorely miss you both._

 _Until next time._

 _AF._

His signature was smeared with a single spot.

The sight was enough to bring it all home again. Holly swallowed hard as the paper went blurry. She sat heavily on the bed, the paper floating to the floor. A sob rose up in her throat, and she gasped, unable to hold it back anymore. Casper looked up at her and rushed to join her on the bed, crawling into her lap and whining.

She squeezed the dog tightly, the only thing she had left of him, pressing her face into his fur. Sobs rose out of her throat and tore out of her chest. She clutched the puppy and just sobbed, Artemis's words ringing in her head.

Until next time. The words ran through her head on repeat as she cried and cried until she couldn't anymore. Eventually, head pounding, ribs aching, she fell back and started to fall asleep, pain fading into exhaustion as her eyes fell closed.

Until next time.


End file.
